Beauty and the Triste: A Gaara Love Story
by snooze2010
Summary: Two students with troubled pasts are thrown together in a whirlwind of angst, rebellion, distrust and hatred, which threaten to tear their damaged souls apart. Can they work with one another and put their broken lives back together? Gaara x OC. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Heyy all! Miss me? Lol, I kind of went AWOL there eh? I think I've been on the site once since I uploaded my one-shot. I haven't even been keeping up with reading all of the stories I'm following. I feel horrible! BUT it's winter break in like, two weeks, so I'll be able to catch up then :) ...Assuming I'm not working 24/7. Anyway, anyway, New fic :D I'm a little rusty so go easy on me. I promised my bestie kyoyalover I'd upload a chapter before Christmas, so here it is :D Who knows, I might even have another one up before then ;P

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

**Monday.**

I stepped of the school bus and the first thing I did was yawn, my breath creating a miniature white cloud in front of my face. I dragged my drooping body over the sidewalk to the main entrance of the school, maintaining that any classes beginning before eleven was just a cruel and unusual punishment.

I yawned again when I entered the dilapidated building, lifted my glasses and ground the sleep from my eyes, silently cursing myself when I remembered too late that I'd applied mascara and liner earlier that morning. I licked the tip of my index finger and ran it under my eyes in case I had smudged my makeup. I yawned again and cracked my shoulders and neck in a futile attempt to work the stiffness and soreness from my muscles.

"Leiko! Leiko!" someone called from behind me. I wasn't awake enough yet to tell who it was.

A grave, grumbling sign escaped my lips and I let my heavy head fall against my locker while I waited for whoever had been calling me to catch up.

"Leiko guess what!"

"Why are you yelling?" I grumbled.

"I'm not yelling," came an indignant reply from a pink haired student. "Now guess what!"

"What Sakura? What could you possibly have to tell me at," I fiddled with my glasses and checked my watch. After waiting a moment for my drooping eyes to adjust, I continued, "At eight twenty seven in the morning and not at a more decent hour?"

"Don't be grumpy! This is big news?"

"What's big news?" asked another voice coming up behind us.

"I wasn't talking to YOU Ino," Sakura answered back curtly.

"Someone tell me what the news is so I can crawl into my locker and go to sleep," I whined.

"There are new students here! They're here for the new semester, they just transferred," Sakura explained. I wasn't registering any of what she was saying, but I did my best to look interested.

"Yeah," Ino cut in, "I saw them in the principal's office this morning. There are two boys and a girl, the youngest is our age, but..."

"'But'?" Sakura asked.

Ino's expression changed to one of concern, "He looks really... scary."

"'Scary'? What are you talking about?"

"You'll see when you meet him. There's just something weird and unnerving about him, and I've been hearing rumours."

"What kind of rumours?" Sakura asked.

All this talking was giving me a headache; I really wished they'd take their conversation elsewhere. I had no interest in new students, rumours, or anything that didn't involve me going back to bed... I needed a serious caffeine boost.

"Well, the rumour is that they were FORCED to leave their old school. They're saying that the guy was causing all sorts of trouble at his old school. Picking fights and all that. I heard he put a bunch of kids in the hospital and there was other stuff too! A bunch of family pets went missing; they're saying he's the one responsible for that!"

I couldn't believe the two of them were buying into this; the looks on both Sakura's and Ino's face said that they were genuinely worried about their safety. I didn't understand it, they were just rumours. I of all people knew how easily they could get blown out of proportion. "Does the 'he' have a name?" I asked, finally adding myself into the conversation.

"'Gaara' I think they said his name was," Ino answered. "I didn't catch the names of the other two. They're older than us. One's a senior and the other's a junior or something like that. There's also a rumour that-"

Ino was interrupted by a brain splitting dinging coming from the speaker right above my head. Dear God, why? Next year I was going to make a point to change lockers to a more quiet, less frequented, part of the school.

"Tell us about it in the locker-room," Sakura suggested. "We've got gym first."

I mentally punched myself for not 'accidentally' sleeping through my alarm clock this morning. I'd forgotten Gym was first today, and I was so not in the mood for Gai Sensei's 'youthful enthusiasm.' I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose. Today was going to be a very, long day.

Sakura grabbed my free arm and tugged me along with her, "C'mon, let's go. You know Gai is going to make you run extra laps if you're late." I just grumbled in response. "You know, you should go see a doctor or something about your constant fatigue. You could have a serious problem."

'Yes,' I thought, 'gym class before noon is a serious problem.'

* * *

Sakura, Ino and I filed into the change room and began weeding though our respective lockers. I just stared into mine, trying to backtrack to the day when I had last washed my gym clothes. How long had it been? Were my gray sweats and black tank still safe to wear? I pulled one item out in each hand and took turns smelling each of them. After a moments deliberation I concluded they weren't toxic yet and went ahead slipping them on.

We all suited up fairly quickly and I was just about to leave the locker-room with the others when I noticed the soft spoken, timid, Hinata Hyuga standing alone in the corner getting changed. I stared her down for a moment, even though she wasn't looking at me. There was always something that had bothered me about Hinata and I'd never quite been able to put my finger on it.

"Don't even think about it Leiko!" my own voice demanded of me suddenly. I turned to see my doppelganger standing commandingly with her hands on her hips a few feet away. My sister was so protective of Hinata; I hadn't even done anything yet.

"You should just mind your own business," I snapped back at her.

"You should just try to be a little nicer."

I sneered at Reiko and rolled my eyes. Watching her was like seeing a cloning experiment that had gone horribly wrong. I would dare to say that no set of twins on the planet looked as similar as Reiko and I did, but our personalities were polar opposites. Our long, silver hair was cut and styled the same way, our eyes were exactly the same shade of gray and even our mouths had a matching pair of tiny clefts on the bottom lip. But after two minutes of talking to either one of us you'd always be able to tell us apart. Reiko had always been the goody-goody; the polite vigilante for truth and justice. Rei always had her homework done, got perfect grades and was liked by everyone in the school. Everyone except me. I hated her; she made me sick.

I shoved past Reiko leaving her and Hinata alone in the change room and hustled out onto the bleachers in the gym where we would all meet before we began an activity. I took my usual seat beside Sakura and Ino; they were going on about something, but I was only half listening to their conversation. I was more awake than I had been even ten minutes ago, but I just couldn't be bothered with their gossip; it was always the same: Naruto was an idiot, Sasuke was hot and the tests coming up were going to be difficult. I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the bleacher behind me. Reiko and Hinata came out of the locker-room and took seats on the far end of the bleachers. I shot them a sly smile, but paid them no further attention after that.

Gai sensei was across the gym talking to another teacher and it looked as though we were still waiting for a couple of the guys to show up, so if I was lucky I might be able to snag a moment or two of peace before the hellish realm of the Gym Class was fully upon me.

My eyes were just beginning to close when a huge banging noise coming from the boy's change room had me jolting awake. All heads turned towards the unsettling noise. Another quick knocking noise had Gai leaving his own conversation and hurrying into the locker-room. Everyone's attention was captured; no one was speaking in an attempt to overhear anything that might be said in the adjacent room.

"Everyone out!" Gai's muffled voice ordered from behind the closed door.

The door to the change room was thrown open and out marched, with expressions of annoyance and contempt, Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and a new kid that I had never seen before.

He was, in a word, shocking. I'd never seen such devilish red hair on anyone before, but that wasn't the only thing about him that caught my attention. He had black liner around his sea-foam eyes and I recognized the Japanese character for 'love' tattooed above his left eye. He was wearing a set of metal rings on his long, pale fingers and had a number of piercings in his ears. There was a studded leather wristband on his right arm that was almost identical to the one I wore on my left. There was something about him, he reminded me of Sasuke; he had a dark, self-interested aura. More than that though, he approached with a threatening look on his face. An involuntary shudder passed through my body for the briefest of seconds.

"That's him! See, what did I tell you!?" Ino whispered harshly in my ear, obviously having noted my reaction. "He's scary! He's got an I-could-kill-you-just-for-looking-at-me-wrong look in his eyes!"

"Relax Ino," I sighed, but part of me was starting to wonder if she wasn't right.

The four boys made their way insolently over to the bleachers with Gai trailing commandingly behind them. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, he said, "Alllriiight, ten laps, then everyone gather around and we'll pick teams." No one moved. "Go people! Let the power of youth explode!"

This man was seriously going to be arrested one day, I could see it. Ten years from now I'd be sitting, watching the news on TV and they'd be talking about a crazy, eccentric, high school Phys. Ed. teacher who had escaped from a psych ward. I just knew it.

We all got up warily after the kerfuffle with the boys and started our laps. I couldn't seem to tear my gaze away from the redhead. What had Ino said his name was? Gaara? He didn't move at first. It didn't look like he was going to run with us at all, but Gai but his hands on his hips and said something to him that I couldn't quite hear with all of the stomping of feet around me. Gaara had a warning, dangerous look in his eyes that made me feel another fight was about to break out, but he started running behind us without incident. I turned my attention forward and saw Kiba and Shino running alongside Naruto, their heads inclined slightly towards him, no doubt probing him for information. I checked over my shoulder and saw Shikamaru keeping pace with Choji, probably telling him what had happened. Sasuke was in front with Ino and Sakura flanking him, but I knew Sasuke wouldn't tell them anything; that was the way he was. There was only one person more self-important and conceited than I was, and I was looking at him.

Sure enough, Sakura and Ino started slowing down. I watched as their bounding blonde and pink ponytails got closer and closer to me.

"You get anything out of him?" I asked to feign interest; I already knew the answer.

"No, he wouldn't tell us anything."

Surprise, surprise.

"What do you think happened?" Sakura asked me, as if I somehow knew more than she did.

"New kid always catches hell for something," I answered. Like I had any idea.

* * *

We all ran our laps without much complaint; all the while Choji and Shikamaru were falling further and further behind. So much so in fact that nearly everyone had lapped them before they had finished. Choji I could understand, he was practically running for two people, but Shikamaru? Shikamaru was just lazy, or how did he put it? 'Selective participation'?

We all gathered round in a loose group formation when we had finished our laps. We had all had to wait an extra couple minutes for Choji and Shikamaru to finish but that was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Alllriiight! We are going to start basketball today. Ino! Sakura! Team captains. Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who goes first."

I really didn't understand why we had to go through the process of picking teams. The teams were always the same; they had been since elementary school. Naruto and Sasuke were never on the same team. The first and ONLY time someone had tried that all hell had broken loose. Ino and Sakura, and Reiko and I, were never on the same teams for that same reason as well. Neither pair could cooperate nor work well together if put on the same team; but on the other hand, having the pairs on separate teams fueled a divine air of competition between the players. Choji and Shikamaru were never on the same teams, but for a different reason. They worked well together to be sure, but that was only if they worked at all. To get either of those two to give more than ten percent effort always seemed to be asking too much. No captain wanted both slackers on their team. Then there was Kiba and Shino. Most people considered Shino to be more than a little weird for his odd hobby of collecting bugs and the fact that he never said much, but no one disliked him and he was about the same skill level as Kiba so the two of them were, more often than not, on different teams as well.

There was no guesswork involved; the whole process of picking teams just seemed to waste time. The only question to the teams was, who would get to pick first? Whoever got to pick first always picked-

"Sasuke!" Ino called, having won Rock, Paper, Scissors. No guesswork involved. Right from day one, on every day, in every gym class, every year, Sasuke was always the first one picked for team activities.

I played out each captain's moves in my head. Because it was Sakura and Ino picking this week, Naruto would be picked last and he would end up on Sakura's team because for Ino to pick him would mean a guaranteed loss.

"Reiko!" Sakura called, as I knew she would. Sakura and I were friends, but it was no secret that she and Rei were closer than she and I were. I didn't mind that though. I was closer to Ino than I was to Sakura anyway.

"Leiko!" Obviously. I stepped casually over to her side.

"Kiba!"

"Shino!"

"Hinata!" No matter who picked first, it always seemed to work out that Rei, Sakura and Hinata were on the same side. Another reason that selections like this were a waste of time.

"Shikamaru!"

"Choji!"

The choices continued; always the same. But something occurred to me then. This class WASN'T going to be the same. There was an extra student this time around. I listened with a little more enthusiasm than was usual to see how things would turn out.

To no one's surprise Naruto and Gaara were the last two standing. It was Ino's choice. The obvious selection for her would be to choose Gaara as putting both Naruto and Sasuke on our team would be equivalent to a forfeit, but she wasn't making a choice. She was scared of Gaara as she had so voiced earlier; she didn't want him on our team, but she didn't want to lose.

"Make your pick," Gai ordered from the sidelines.

Ino's eyes narrowed and worry lines formed at the corners of her mouth. "Naruto," she called weakly and the whole class let out a unanimous gasp.

This was going to be an interesting game.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, so yeah, this is the revised version of chapter 1 for those who are just tuning in. I hope it all makes sense; I did a kind of haphazard edit, so yeah.

Man, I forgot how much there is to consider when you're writing a Fic. For instance, I wanted the characters to play a game of outdoor soccer for the gym class, but I'd made a point in the beginning of stating how cold it was and that it was the start of a new semester. That means its February; you can't play outdoor soccer in February.

Also, as it is, I am told 'Leiko' means 'arrogant child' and 'Reiko' means 'beautiful child.' Just for anyone who was wondering. That's actually how I came up with the title, as I was originally going to write with Reiko being my protagonist instead of Lei, but I do have a way to work around this a little later on ;) Lol, 'Triste' by the way, means 'sad/sorrowful.' How perfect did that work out for me!? :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Omg, I'm so nervous! It's been so long since I was updating. I wonder if I'll ever get used to the anxiety, lol. I hope you guys liked the first chapter... I suppose you must have if you're reading the second one :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

_To no one's surprise Naruto and Gaara were the last two standing. It was Ino's choice. The obvious selection for her would be to choose Gaara as putting both Naruto and Sasuke on our team would be equivalent to a forfeit, but she wasn't making a choice. She was scared of Gaara as she had so voiced earlier; she didn't want him on our team, but she didn't want to lose._

"_Make your pick," Gai ordered from the sidelines._

_Ino's eyes narrowed and worry lines formed at the corners of her mouth. "Naruto," she called weakly and the whole class let out a unanimous gasp._

_This was going to be an interesting game._

Even Gai was silent for a moment, something that was weirdly unusual for him. It was hard to believe he ever stopped talking. "Well, alllriiight then," concern knit itself into Gai sensei's face. "Suit up and start a scrimmage, I've got to run down to the office for a moment."

I silently berated Gai. What was he thinking!? On any other day leaving the class alone to have a game wouldn't have been such a bad idea, but today? There had already been one apparent fight and now Naruto and Sasuke were on the same team! Shit was going to hit the fan the second he left the room. That reminded me...

I scooted over to enemy territory to see Choji and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, did Shikamaru tell you what happened?" I whispered.

"Yeah, he said Sasuke and the new kid almost got into a serious fight. He said it started out of nowhere too. One second it was fine and the next they were shoving each other into lockers. Shikamaru and Naruto tried to break it up but by then Gai showed up."

"He doesn't know what started it?"

"He didn't really say."

"Crazy," I commented, and for a moment wondered why I even cared.

Choji and I broke away and got suited in our jerseys; red for my team, blue for theirs. I shrugged into mine and it was painfully tight, especially around the chest. It had been a miracle Choji had squeezed into his. I wondered if the jersey was cutting off his blood circulation. I supposed we'd find out in short order if it was.

I had been worried about my gym clothes being beyond their expiry date, but the jerseys I knew ought to have been burned at the turn of the century. They could soak the damn things in bleach for a week and still not get the smell out.

My team sent me up to be center. Basketball wasn't my best sport by any means but the only person I'd ever lost a tip off to was Sasuke and he was on my team for this game.

Ino, Shino, myself and two others made up the first line, leaving Naruto, Sasuke and a handful of other miscellaneous students to be spares to sub in at regular intervals. 'For Heaven's sake,' I thought to myself, 'at least put Sasuke and Naruto on different lines if they have both have to be on our team.' Was it really that hard to figure out? I wanted to speak up, but didn't end up saying anything. This was sure going to be interesting. Sasuke and Naruto were already glaring daggers at each other on the bench. On the other side of half court Sakura, Reiko, Hinata, Choji and Kiba were our first opponents.

Yeah, this was going to be a very interesting game.

I took my place at center against Sakura and got into a crouched stance, ready to jump. A kid showed up with a ball, checked both sides of the court to make sure everyone was ready and tossed the bright orange sphere into the air. I won the tip off as usual and spent just a moment considering that it must be luck that let me win every time, on account of I had no real aptitude for sports. The ball arced back towards Ino and the game began in earnest.

The teams were about evenly matched and everyone took equal turns switching on and off with two exceptions. Sasuke was on the court about 90% more than he was off and Gaara hadn't been on at all. It looked as though we were going to be able to keep the game relatively civil until Gai got back, until Reiko made a switch with Hinata.

I hadn't even meant to, but Hinata was so petite. When I bumped into her to try and gain possession of the ball, I knocked her back and she fell hard to the ground.

Before I could even make a case for myself, Rei shouted, "What the hell Leiko!?" and stormed over to me. Her team was shouting inaudibly in fury, and my team was shouting back in defence. "What are you trying to prove?" Reiko barked at me, stepping so that there wasn't even an inch of space between us.

"Get out of my face!" I told her flatly. It had been an accident and nothing more. I had been staying out of Hinata's way for quite a while now; it was presumptuous of her to judge me based on what I'd done in my past.

"Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you!"

"It's none of your business!"

"Hinata is my friend, it IS my business!" I could see she was about to shout further, but her gaze was suddenly captured by something behind me. I turned to see that another argument had broken out. Naruto was in the midst of taking a swing at Sasuke, who easily dodged it and returned with his own. "Yeah, well, here we go," I sighed and ignoring Rei, Sasuke and Naruto and everyone else, I banished myself to the sidelines.

It was right then that I saw a tall, less than jolly, green giant storm into the gym from the hallways. About time Gai showed up. He was correcting his sense of timing, if only he could do the same for his wardrobe. "I'll take her to the infirmary," I heard him shout over all the other voices. "I leave you kids alone for ten minutes and all hell breaks loose?"

'Well, really,' I thought, 'what did you think was going to happen?'

I watched disinterested as Gai lifted Hinata to her feet. "As for the rest of you; no talking and push ups until I come back."

I heaved a sigh.

Gym class before noon, always a serious problem.

* * *

The bell finally rang and dismissed us. I'd never seen so many downcast students rush for the door so quickly. I worked my way through the ever crowed halls, finally able to breathe after the constraining atmosphere of the gym... although, maybe it had just been that constraining red jersey.

I'd been so shaken up because of gym I needed to run over my schedule in my head to figure out what class I had next. Phys. Ed. with Gai? Check. Next was Psychology with Kurenai sensei. After that I had Math with Asuma, Social Studies with Iruka and Chemistry with Kakashi sensei. Psychology and math were my favourite; I wasn't sure about how I felt having them in the middle of the day though. This morning had been so stressful that it would have been nice to have started with those classes, but it may have been equally nice to have had them at the end of the day so that I could have something to look forward to. Granted, chemistry wasn't too bad either and classes with Kakashi sensei were always... 'interesting.'

I shuffled into psychology with a heavy sigh and took my usual place in the far corner. I liked sitting at the back, I could observe the class without them observing me. The very idea of people watching me made me very uncomfortable. Besides, teachers were predisposed to call on students in the front row anyway. I crossed my arms over my desk and laid my head down on the makeshift pillow I had created with my hands. In the back of my mind I wondered if Hinata would show up to class; she looked like she had been in a lot of pain. I felt a momentary pang of guilt for what had happened, but in all honesty, it was only an accident.

"Oh, here you are," a startled voice spoke up suddenly. I lifted my head from my warm nest and glanced around. All eyes were trained on the door where a redheaded boy stood with an indignant look on his face. "You're Gaara right? The new student?" the teacher asked. "I'm Kurenai sensei, please come in."

Shocking. There really was no better word. He looked quite a bit different in his regular clothes; he looked a little more sinister, which I would have figured to be almost impossible.

As if we hadn't been listening, Kurenai addressed the rest of us. "Class, this is Gaara, he's new to Konoha High. He's just transferred from Suna if I am not mistaken. Please make him feel welcome."

'If she only knew,' I thought sarcastically.

"Gaara, there's an empty seat next to Leiko, why don't you sit down there."

Oh dear.

All eyes shifted from Gaara, to me, and back to Gaara. There were other students in this class who had also been in gym with me. They were giving me sympathizing glances and glaring daggers at Gaara. The phase, 'If looks could kill,' came to mind. There were a handful of students who had obviously heard about what had happened this morning and were shooting equally unfriendly glances towards the redhead. The others I assumed had been hearing rumours themselves as there wasn't a single student who wasn't wearing a wary look. It wasn't even noon yet and it felt like Gaara had already made an enemy of the whole school.

"Alright class, please open your reading books to chapter two," Kurenai called.

The rest of the class shifted around in their seats to face the front, but I kept my eyes trained on Gaara. Despite his ominous aura there was something, captivating, about him and no one could deny that he was attractive... in a dark and dangerous kind of way. He wore a heavy black hoodie that was by no means new; tiny tears along the seams of the cuffs and collar could testify to that. His long jeans had a metal chain clipped to the side and were beginning to fray at the bottom.

"Uhm, hey," I mumbled as quietly as I could manage when he pulled his seat out to sit down. "I'm Leiko." I offered my hand nervously. I didn't really want to, but it seemed to me that this was not someone I wanted to make an enemy out of right off the bat. When I got no response from him I continued with, "We're in the same Phys. Ed. class too," and then I mentally slapped myself for bringing up the train wreck that had been gym. "You're from Suna eh?" I asked casually, hoping to change the subject and evoke some kind of a response from him.

The response I got was not the kind I had been hoping for. Gaara shot me a warning death glare from the side and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end.

"Alright," I murmured under my breath.

I turned towards the front, determined to focus on the lesson but I found my mind wandering. Who was this guy sitting beside me!? Furthermore, who did he think he was, glaring so threateningly at me as he had. I didn't want to believe the rumours Ino had been spewing this morning but all the evidence was seeming to point in that direction. Gaara had started a fight with Sasuke within the first ten minutes of his being here. Granted, Sasuke wasn't the easiest guy on the planet to get along with either. As well, his persona seemed to fit what Ino had been saying about him. The dark clothes, the malevolent, hateful look in his eyes... A transfer to a new school could be hard on anyone though, right? At the same time part of me felt that I was in a lot of danger by being around him, but part of me felt that he was just a kid the same as the rest of us; part of me, against my better judgement, wanted to trust him. The back and forth argument in my head must have continued for a lot longer than I thought because my stupor was only broken off when I caught the middle of a conversation that two guys were having in front of us.

"...she said his siblings were nice enough. A little weird, but what do you expect of kids from Suna, right?"

"I heard that he..."

Those idiots! They were sitting right in front of us! Did they really think we couldn't hear them? I stole a sideways glance at Gaara, his expression hadn't changed from the moment he sat down. Quite frankly that worried me the most. I had half a mind to reach out and kick the backs of their chairs to get them to shut up but just then the bell rang.

Thank God.

I hadn't even had a chance to stand up and start packing my things before Gaara was across the class and out of the room. I now had my own rumours I could add to the assortment that were spreading like wildfire thought the school.

* * *

Sakura jumped me in the halls.

"Ohmygosh Lei! I heard what happened?"

"What happened?" I asked back, lost in thought.

"What do you mean? Kurenai made you sit by him!"

Record timing.

"Oh that," I muttered. I hadn't even made it from class to my locker before half the school had found out. The information centres around here were like spider webs. If one kid knew something, the information spread up and out at a breakneck pace.

"Are you okay?" she demanded.

"Am I okay? Sakura, he sat beside me, he didn't perform surgery on me." Although, I might need a session or two of therapy for that look he gave me. An internal shudder quaked up my spine.

"Why are you taking this so lightly? That guy is dangerous."

"Says who?"

"Says everybody!"

'Yeah?' I thought. 'Well everyone once said that I-'

I couldn't finish my thought as Sakura interrupted, "Lei, you seriously need to stay away from this guy. You are like, the only one in the whole school who is not freaking out."

"Sakura, really, if he was that dangerous they wouldn't let him come here," I explained logically, although I was starting to have my own doubts.

"You're the one in psychology; you know how these things work. He's unstable, he could snap at any second."

I didn't reply.

"You're the one who told me about that case study you looked into. The guy who burned the house down when he was six, and then shot his girlfriend and cut his arm off!"

"Sakura, he shot his arm and stabbed his girlfriend," I corrected.

"Yeah! And they didn't do anything about him until he killed that one girl. Do you want to be the girl that Gaara kills? And don't forget what that guy threatened to do to his psychiatrist when he was in prison! He threatened to beat his head in and eat his brains! And-"

"Sakura!" I interrupted, only decibels below shouting. "I'm the one who told you about the case. I know what happened!" I was really getting tired of this, and the topic was making me sick. I brought my hand up to my face and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Sakura, I don't feel well. I'm going to take a walk. Take notes for me in math will you?"

"But-"

I didn't give her chance to finish before taking off down the hall and out the back door of the school.

* * *

Part of me didn't understand it. Why was everyone being so cruel? How would they feel if they transferred to a new school and people were saying those horrible things about them? I did have to admit to myself that I was worried a little, I mean, most rumours did come from somewhere, but still...

I sat down, leaning back against the wall of the school. The cold bit through my tight jeans and through my sweater at the back. My breath came out in little white puffs of steam and almost instantly my nose and face began to go numb. To combat the frigid temperatures I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself. It was still far too early in the year to try and leave the house without a coat but the stinging air was helping to clear my head.

I took another couple deep breaths of the crisp air and decided it was time to go in. Getting in trouble for being late was one thing, getting in trouble for outright skipping was another. I slid back up the wall, cracked my neck and back and started walking. The quickest way to math from here would be to go in through the west hall doors, so I rounded the corner of the school and-

-bumped into a tall, warm, body.

* * *

**Author's Note:** That case study? Actually happened. Just sayin'.

So, wow. I reread my old Mello fic... Dear Lord! How did you people understand I word I wrote? I was confused by my writing and I wrote the darn thing! You know what I think the problem is? When I'm writing something, I know what's going on in my head and it's so clear to me it's like I don't feel the need to write down everything that I'm thinking. You know? So you guys only get about half the story. Anyway, I'm going to try and work on that :) And for the love of God, if you find spelling mistakes, even small ones, please tell me. I'm sure some people might find that annoying, but really it's a lot easier for me to fix if I can catch them right away. The last thing I need is another 'He took my SHIN in his hands and forced me to look up at him.' I mean, that's just weird ;P


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Ahh, nothing like a huge set of finals coming up to cure one's writer's block... XS damn. Also, there's been a cougar sighting on our school grounds. Only in Canada would a cougar sighting at a school NOT affect finals in any way -_-* Crossing my fingers that they get canceled... I'm not afraid of the cougar, I'm just afraid of flunking my tests :S

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

_I took another couple deep breaths of the crisp air and decided it was time to go in. Getting in trouble for being late was one thing, getting in trouble for outright skipping was another. I slid back up the wall, cracked my neck and back and started walking. The quickest way to math from here would be to go in through the west hall doors, so I rounded the corner of the school and-_

_-bumped into a tall, warm, body._

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said before I even looked up and upon looking up, instantly regretted my little detour outside. "Sasuke," I hissed.

"Skipping class Lei? And I thought you were such a good girl." Sasuke reached out and I instantly recoiled from his touch.

"What about you Sasuke? Too smart to even go to class?"

"More or less," he said back flatly, returning my sarcasm.

"Yeah well, I'm late to math, I've got to go."

"Why bother? Class will be over soon."

"Class just started actually," I sneered and tried to push past him but he grabbed my wrist. "Let me go Sasuke," I demanded in a cool but serious tone. I didn't like being touched, not just by Sasuke, but by anybody. I hated it, it made my skin crawl. "Let me go now," I ordered when he didn't immediately release me.

The expression on Sasuke's face went from one of dark humour to one of irritation. "You're not very polite Lei," he said.

How polite is it to go around grabbing people? "I'm not kidding Sasuke," I fought to keep the severe discomfort out of my voice. The more Sasuke knew he was bothering me, the more amusement he would get from it and the less likely he would be to stop.

I stared up at him and met his cold, black eyes, challenging him, daring him to not release me. Sasuke was a lot like me, but we were both very different in very important ways. Sasuke and I, at a young age, had both lost our families. The only supposed 'family' Sasuke had left was his brother Itachi, and we had all heard the stories around that. Itachi had disappeared years ago when Sasuke's entire family had been killed. Some people believed Itachi had been the one who slaughtered his mother and father and aunts and uncles and then had gone into hiding. Some people on the other hand believed that Itachi had been a victim himself and was dead and decomposing somewhere himself.

My family was gone too. I had my aunt Ai and my sister Rei and that was all.

My train of thought about my family was derailed suddenly by a abrupt shift in Sasuke's gaze. I followed his stare over my head and about fifty feet behind us.

Gaara's bright, rust coloured hair stood out vividly against the cool, frosty hues of the winter. Was everyone skipping class this block?

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked angrily.

Gaara didn't answer; he just continued to stare back at us. There was something in his eyes, I could see it. There was something behind the gloom and the shadows, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Eyes are the windows to the soul but Gaara's eyes were so dark and clouded it was hard to make anything out.

"What? You want to finish our fight from earlier?"

Gaara said nothing, just turned and walked away. I really wish he had stayed; he was taking Sasuke's attention away from me.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Sasuke called over me.

My face twisted with annoyance and disgust. "Jeeze Sasuke, you're such a jerk. Leave him alone. Leave him AND me alone."

"I'm a jerk? Do you know what he did this morning?"

"No and I don't care," I spat, trying to tug my wrist out of Sasuke's firm grip.

"He was the jerk this morning!"

Of course he was going to tell me anyway. I got the feeling that sometime Sasuke just liked to hear himself talk. "That's great," I grumbled.

"He-"

"I said I don't care. Now let. Me. Go. Now." I demanded urgently, pulling my lips back and baring my teeth at him like a feral animal.

"Fine," he said finally, releasing me. "You know, you're a real bitch Leiko."

I didn't care what he called me. I breathed out a sigh of relief and a small puff of cloud materialized between us and in an instant was gone. I stormed past him and half walked, half ran to class.

* * *

"Late," Asuma said without even looking up. He was leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk reading some sort of magazine. The class was engaged in some sort of silent worksheet, but all of them looked up at me when I stumbled in.

"Sorry Asuma Sensei," I said sheepishly and slid into my regular seat beside Sakura.

"You didn't happen to see anybody else wandering the halls did you? We're missing someone."

I looked back at Asuma and he pointed to an empty seat near the back. Sasuke wasn't in this class, so it must have been Gaara who was supposed to be occupying that desk; unless of course there was another wayward student out and about somewhere.

"I didn't see anyone else in the halls," I muttered truthfully and opened my textbook in front of me.

"What happened to you?" Sakura whispered in my ear. "I thought you were just going to get some fresh air, you were gone for like, twenty minutes."

I checked the clock hanging on the wall above the blackboard; it had felt like longer than that to me. I sighed overwhelmed. I really just wanted to go home. Sakura continued with her pestering questions but I just stared at my papers and paid her no attention.

Mercifully, the bell rang. It was lunch time. The only person in the entire school who had the possibility of being happier than I was at the thought of a break, at least a break involving food, was Choji.

* * *

I was out the door before the class had even packed up. I wanted to get away from all the students. I was so sick of their prying questions and inconsiderate topics involving rumours about the new kids. I dashed out of the doors and made it back to the same section of wall where I had sought refuge before.

I was just about to drop down to the frozen asphalt of the courtyard when I caught a glimpse of an already familiar mop of rust coloured hair at the far end of the field. 'Should I go talk to him?' I asked myself. He was probably out there because he was already as sick and tired as I was of all the rumours and snide comments going around. Gaara probably wanted to be left alone, but it wasn't as though I was going to say anything horrible to him. Besides, didn't I owe him some sort of a thank you? In his own way, he had helped get Sasuke to leave me alone. Then again, the malevolent look I was greeted with in psychology told me I wasn't the first person Gaara wanted to spend time with.

I wasn't afraid though! Besides, I was curious at any rate. At least that's what I told myself. As I pushed off the wall and started across the vast expanse of crunchy, white grass that was our school's soccer field an old, overused phrase came to mind, 'Curiosity killed the cat.' I didn't know what my issue was. There was something inside me that was just demanding that I go talk to him. Maybe I just wanted to make a point. Maybe I wanted to prove to Sakura and Ino that everyone was just overreacting. Maybe I wanted to make sure that Gaara didn't have to endure the cruelty of the other students alone as I once had. I asked myself again why I even cared.

"Uhm, hey," I said when I had gotten close enough for him to hear me.

No reaction.

"Do you mind if I sit here with you?"

No reaction.

Testing the waters I slid down next to him. He didn't immediately get up and stomp away; I took that to be a good sign.

"Kind of cold out here isn't it?" I asked as the frost on the ground seeped through my jeans as it had earlier. "It's nice though, it's refreshing ...So, you're from Suna eh? I bet it's a lot warmer out there, even in the winter. That place is something like a desert no? I've never actually been there, but I heard it's nice enough. I heard they have a really good school system; better than a lot of other places," still no reaction. I ran my index finger under my nose nervously, realizing that maybe Gaara didn't want to talk about Suna or the people there. If what they were saying was true, it might bring back some unpleasant memories for him if I kept bringing it up.

"Uhm," I started again. "So how do you like Konohagakure?" I asked, taking special care to emphasize that I meant the town and not the school. "It's a really nice place in the winter, but it's so pretty in the summer! Everything is so green; all the leaves and flowers..." I trailed off. I was going to physically punch myself if I kept talking. I had said more in the past ten minutes than I had said in any conversation in my entire life. Granted, I was a very one-sided conversation that I was having. A gurgling noise around my midsection grabbed at my attention. "Did you bring a lunch or anything?" I asked, remembering that I hadn't even taken the time to grab mine before I had bolted. "The cafeteria's food here isn't all too bad, surprisingly. I've never heard of a school, or any type institution for that matter, that has a decent lunch menu, but ours really isn't too bad."

Turning my head to the side in the awkward silence I felt a pulling sensation on my left ear. I reached up behind it and tugged at a lock of my hair that had gotten tangled around my new piercing. "Oh! I wanted to tell you that I really like your piercings!" Why couldn't I shut up? It was like I had been possessed by some incessant chatter bug. "Reiko and I both just got our industrials done. I think part of me wishes she hadn't copied my idea, but it is kind of fun when twins look as identical as we do," I chuckled flatly. "You have siblings right?" I asked, banking on what Ino had told me earlier and what I had heard those two boys talking about in psychology. "An older sister and brother? I think you'd get a good balance having both male and female siblings in your family."

"I don't think of them as my family," he said suddenly; his voice was a low growl and his words were apathetic. I wasn't sure I'd heard him speak all day; I think I'd almost accepted the fact that he wasn't going to answer back to anything I said to him.

I paused not knowing how to respond to that. In the distance the bell to signal the end of lunch started ringing. Neither Gaara nor I made a move to head back.

"Are you going to go to class?" I knit my eyebrows together, "You'll probably get in trouble if you stay out here all day, not to mention it's getting pretty cold." I waited a beat and then continued, "You know, I know the other kids haven't been overly welcoming but-"

"What's your problem!?" he snarled suddenly, shooting me another death glare.

I was taken aback for a moment and didn't know how to react. His voice was cold and harsh and left a stabbing sensation in my ears; or maybe it had just been his words that had done that.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, bowing my head. "I just figured it might be nice having someone to talk to, you know. I mean, it's your first day and everything. Jeez I was just trying to be nice!" My voice getting sterner with every word I spoke. " And, I don't know, I don't want you to get in trouble for being late... I'm sorry if I've bothered you," I said sarcastically.

Eyebrows knit together and heart a little more angrier and sorer than it had been a moment ago, I got up on my knees and was about to turn to leave when suddenly, I felt this weird sensation, an incorporeal tugging at my body, nay, at my soul. Something was biding me to stay. Agaisnt my own better judgement and basic instinct for self preservation I decided to try once more. Speaking through clenched teeth I said, "I'm really not up for class. Would you mind if I stayed too then?" Since when was I so hesitant about anything? Since when didn't I just do what I wanted whether people minded or not?

Gaara turned his face away from me in reply. Well, it wasn't a 'no.'

I slid back cautiously to the ground. "I had Social Studies anyway," I explained quietly as if it made a difference.

I usually didn't condone skipping, ever. It wasn't me at all. I really played up the bad girl in my appearance and attitude, but as much as I hated socials I had never skipped it, or any other classes that I disliked. Grades were really important to me; all through my life it had been one of the only ways I was able to validate myself. It still kind of was. Yet, I still didn't go to class.

I sat back down but decided I wasn't going to talk anymore. Gaara seemed to be getting annoyed with me and sitting in silence was sometimes the best type of conversation you could have with a person. A soft, quiet peace I figured was exactly the type of thing both of us needed just then.

I took this opportunity to really study Gaara. Maybe if I was lucky I would find something out; maybe I would be able to delve just a little deeper into the mystery before me. I lolled my head from side to side the way a dog might, subconsciously believing that perhaps a better angle on the subject might provide me with some new information.

Gaara was still turned away from me, but I could still see his eyes. They were a very unique shade. The colour was somewhere between blue and green, but not really either and it was heavily accented by the black liner. I tried to understand what it was about Gaara that kept drawing me to him. I tried to understand why he was so distant. I took special notice of the tattoo above his eyes and felt that it might provide me with a very important clue. Gaara's skin was very smooth and pale making his blood red tattoo that much more vivid on his forehead. I wanted to ask about it, but I held off so as not to break the absolute silence that was around us. There were still small patches of snow and frost in places, acting as insulation against all sounds.

'All sounds except the school bell evidently,' I thought as a trilling reached us from across the field. 'No, not a school bell. It was the fire alarm.'

Gaara and I were in luck. This was the perfect opportunity for us to sneak back into our respective classes. During fire drills it was required that the students file out and wait in a line in a predetermined section of the field to be accounted for. With all the students filing out at once I could, in theory, sneak into Iruka sensei's line undetected. If he had noticed my absence in class, I could tell him that I had merely been in the washroom or getting a drink.

"We should seriously get going," I told Gaara. "If you know what class you're supposed to be in, now would be the perfect time to slide in and not get in trouble." I stole a glance over my shoulder. Hundreds of kids were pouring out of the side doors to the schools and making their way onto the field in a large mass.

Gaara stood up with me, but instead of walking with me towards the school, he turned and left in the opposite direction. I didn't even have to ask.

He wasn't coming with me.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ah-ha, you were expecting Lei to bump into Gaara in the beginning, don't lie ;P ...I did actually fight with myself a little on that one. I wasn't sure who I wanted it to be. And yes, I know. Sasuke doesn't really bother himself with anyone and is only concerned with himself, but 1. I need this for my fic, and 2. Leiko is like the only one who ever seems to dislike Sasuke. I figure this would frustrate and intrigue him, that's why he's giving her such a hard time ;P

Anyway, seriously, let me know what you think :) I can't make it better if you don't tell me what you're thinking. I write for you guys! I want you to enjoy my writing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** !ETA!

Okay, here's the situation. I can't write with Reiko being my protagonist. She's too... I'm afraid she's going to become a Mary-Sue if I keep going. So here is what I'm doing: I have gone back and overhauled my first three chapters so that Leiko is now the protagonist! The story will be told from her point of view from now on. Now, because Rei and Lei have such polar opposite personalities, while I kept the plot line the same, I edited a few key scenes to make Leiko's arrogance stand out. It was something that I needed to do. If it turns out that you all liked Reiko more, I still have the originals and will be able to put them back up. Otherwise, I'm sorry for any confusion and I hope you like the changes :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

Go back and read the author's note this time. Yes it's long, but it's actually important this time. You are going to be so lost if you don't... A distinction being that, if you didn't have to wait for chapter 4 to be uploaded (that is if you just started with this fic and already have experienced life from Leiko's POV,) then you're fine.

* * *

**Tuesday.**

It was the bright, blinding light from the sunlight streaming in through my window the next morning, instead of my alarm clock, that woke me. I lay on my bed, arms crossed behind my head debating whether or not I was going to go to school today... Debating whether or not they would even HAVE school today.

I played through the events of yesterday afternoon in my head:

_I had managed, without much difficulty, to pick out Sakura's light pink head amidst the heard of converging people. It was useful to have Sakura in so many of my classes for just that reason._

"_Where were you?" Sakura demanded when I tapped her on the shoulder._

"_In the washroom," I said casually._

"_Leiko!" she all but shouted, "Iruka's pissed! It's a real fire! They're going to think you started it. You and Gaara were the only ones unaccounted for from our class!"_

"_What!?" I said, instantly horrified._

"_We saw the smoke down the science hall when we left. Which way did you come out, you had to have seen it too!"_

"_I was in the art hall washroom," I explained quickly. "I like the way they painted it."_

"_You like the way they painted it!? It's all white cinderblock!"_

"_Yeah, it looks cool. All the other washrooms are beige. I hate beige." Well, it wasn't a lie._

"_You're going to get into so much trouble!" Sakura warned._

"_It wasn't me!"_

"_It was Gaara then!"_

"_Who says?" I asked, knowing that he had been with me the whole time._

"_Who else could it have been? You and Gaara were the only ones missing."_

"_From 'our' class," I reminded her. "There are at least four dozen more classes in the school. There had to be other absentees."_

_Sakura seemed unconvinced. "Yeah, well no one else to my knowledge has ever tried to burn down our school. It's a real coincidence that the day he shows up there's suddenly a fire."_

"_You said the smoke was coming from the science hall right? Jeez, some kid was probably just messing around with some chemicals. It's probably not even a purposeful fire."_

"_Yeah, right," she said._

_I couldn't continue to stand up for Gaara without making her suspicious, and I couldn't cover for him without implicating myself and admitting to an earlier lie. I decided for the time being to just keep my mouth shut._

_Above the endless yammering of the other students and teachers I suddenly heard my name being called._

"_Leiko?"_

"_Here!" I answered back._

_Iruka looked up from his clipboard, surprised at my presence. "Where did you come from? I've got you marked as absent. You're going to have to explain yourself Leiko."_

"_I was in the washroom sir," I said pleadingly, donning the most angelic expression I could muster._

_I could sense Iruka sensei didn't really believe me, but he continued with the rest of the roll call anyway. In the distance faint fire sirens could be heard. It wasn't long at all before two, bright red fire trucks pulled up outside the front of the building._

_Deciding that, whichever way it was sliced, there was no way we would be continuing class today the teachers sent us all home after we had all been accounted for. The buses had been sent for, but I had decided to walk home instead. I lived in that perfect location where, if it was so convenient I could take the bus to school, but if I ever happened to miss it, I was close enough to walk as well._

My body had been nearly frozen solid by the time I had made it back to my house, I recalled. I had stripped off and jumped straight into the shower to pacify my aching muscles. It was barely four o'clock when I had gotten out, but I had gotten myself a cup of tea, snuggled into my pyjamas and had gone straight to bed.

My playback ended abruptly when a seventy-seven pound mass of love and fur leaped up onto my head and started licking my face.

"Good morning Hiro," I laughed, shielding my face with my arms.

Wriggling up into a sitting position I took my dog's face in my hands and leaned my forehead against his. "Good morning Hiro, good morning," I cooed in a baby voice while scratching behind his ears. I pulled my face away and Hiro stole one last lick before calming down. I gave him a thorough petting, starting at the ears and working all the way down around his neck.

Hiro was a medium sized, working breed, German Shepherd. His coat was soft and warm, and his deep brown eyes had a degree of understanding that I hadn't seen in any other dog before. He was going a little gray around the muzzle and a little slower when he ran, but there was no dog as smart or strong as he was. Hiro was my prince; my baby.

"Classes are still on for today," came my own voice from the doorway, interrupting my musings over my dog. "If you're going you're going to want to get ready."

Sighing I threw the blankets off and slid out of bed. "You hungry boy?" I asked. Hiro's eyes lit up and his tail started wagging.

Hiro followed me loyally all over the house as I was getting ready. When it was time to leave I let him out into the yard, filled his food and water and locked the gate behind me. "You be good Hiro," I told him. He stared up at me obediently.

My prince.

* * *

When Rei and I got to school the halls were buzzing with the news. The rumour that was circulating was that Gaara had started the fire. This was ridiculous and getting way too out of hand! No one knew any of the facts and were just speculating based on other rumours they had heard. This whole situation was giving me such a headache. I had been with Gaara the whole time; there was no way he could have done it! However, there was no way I could say anything without implicating myself.

I found Sakura and Ino in the science hall inspecting the damage that had been done yesterday; which, in all truthfulness, wasn't a whole lot. The fire alarm and sprinkler had done their jobs and the only signs that were left of a fire were a ten-by-ten section of black scorch marks on the wall and the faintest odour of smoke.

I was about to call out to them when small but heavy hand landed on my shoulder. I cringed at the initial contact but composed myself quickly. I turned to find principle Tsunade standing over me. I might have guessed as much. I wasn't blindly optimistic enough to believe that something like this wasn't going to happen.

I was led straight to Tsunade's office, catching curious stares from students as I passed by. Great, let them have more stuff to talk about. When we got to her office I found Ibiki Morino wating for me.

Ibiki Morino, was the head of the police force. Everyone at Konoha knew who he was because his little brother Idate went to school with us. Ibiki wore two parallel scars running diagonally across his face and one very stern expression.

Tsunade sat me down in a chair in front of her desk and took up station at her own chair with Ibiki standing beside her. I knew right away why I was there and I know right away that it was pointless to try and lie to them, Ibiki especially. He could spot the truth a mile away, but in this instance, that was going to be a good thing for me. If I told him the truth, he would know I wasn't lying.

"I know why I'm here," I said flatly, not waiting for them to start. "I know I'm under suspicion and I know why." It was probably better just to get the whole thing out of the way right off the bat. "I wasn't in class, and I wasn't in the washroom. I was at the end of the soccer field with Gaara. We were just talking! Neither of us had anything to do with the fire. We'd both been there since lunch time." I half wondered if it wasn't solely Ibiki's reputation that made people confess to him. "When I heard the fire alarm I went and joined my class. That's all that happened," I asserted.

The two of them stayed quiet for a long while before Tsunade spoke up and said, "What happened to Gaara?"

I didn't want to get him in any more trouble than he already might have been, but to start lying now would've made it worse off for both of us in the long run I was sure. "He didn't come with me; I don't know where he went. I'm pretty sure he left the school grounds though," I said, my resolve as strong as ever.

Another long pause between them. "Uh-huh, and how long did you say you were sitting there? At the back of the field it was right?"

"Yes, we were there since lunch. I went out right after class ended; I didn't even eat yesterday," my face crinkled up when I remembered that my lunch from yesterday was still in my locker. That was going to smell nice.

"What did you two talk about?"

"Well, I did most of the talking," I bowed my head, suddenly embarrassed at how I had behaved the other day.

"What did you talk about?"

"I just asked him how he was enjoying Konoha so far, mostly. There was nothing really consequential," I hung my head further.

"You're going to have to be punished for skipping."

I heaved a sigh, "Yes ma'am."

"Thank you for telling the truth though."

"You know I'm not lying then?"

Tsunade looked as if she wasn't going to answer me for a moment, but then said, "The whole art class saw you two out there. Apparently it was quite a spectacle."

Greaaat.

The whole North side of the school faced the soccer field and the art class had a whole wall of windows along the side. Of course they had seen us. At least I had a viable alibi.

"Alright, get going," Tsunade ordered. "We'll discuss your punishment later."

Great, something to look forward to. I didn't argue her; I took my bad and left the room without a word.

* * *

Sakura and Ino ambushed me as soon as I got into the hallway. I just couldn't catch a break.

"What did Tsunade want?"

"Did she think you started the fire?"

"She's got to know it was that psycho Gaara who started the fire."

This is where I interrupted. "Hey, shut up. He's not a psycho."

Sakura's and Ino's reactions made it look like I had slapped them. "Whoa, alright," Sakura said, putting her hands up defensively.

"What's gotten into you?" Ino asked. "Why do you care? We were just talking."

Ino had a point; why did I care? I normally didn't. I normally couldn't have cared less about what was said about other people. Half the time I didn't even go out of my way to stand up for Sakura or Ino when someone was talking trash about them. So what was it now? Why did I feel so personally involved in what was going on?

"Sorry, I guess everything's just been getting to me lately," I explained. "Gaara apparently didn't do it though. Tsunade said that the entire art class saw him at the end of the field from lunch through till just after the fire alarm went off." Not a lie.

"He could have set it before and then went out there," Ino tried.

"And nobody noticed the fire all lunch hour?" I asked sarcastically. "Besides, there was like no damage. The fire couldn't have been burning for very long at all."

The two of them nodded in agreement at my logic. "Well, then who did it then?"

"They brought in Idate's brother," I informed, "the police interrogation guy."

"Idate...? The one who had a crush on Sakura?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"HEY! He does not!"

"He totally does Sakura," I told her. "Just accept it." The three of us laughed for a moment, when suddenly I caught a glimpse of crimson red hair turn a corner down the hall. "Hey uhm, I just remembered I need to... do something. I'll be right back." I made a move to follow after Gaara, but just then the bell rang.

"Do it later," Sakura said. "You've got class. It's B block first today, so you've got psych. I'll see you in math a little later."

"Yeah, sure," I muttered, and sulked off to my class.

* * *

I managed to get through psychology and math without much incident. Hinata had shown up to Kurenai's class with one crutch under her arm and a tenser bandage around her ankle. At some point I knew I was going to have to apologize for that. Gaara hadn't shown up for either class and so when Sakura and I made it to Socials I was surprised to find that he had already taken a seat... My seat.

Gaara was in my seat and the space that Sakura usually occupied stood, understandably, empty beside him. The other students, it appeared, had taken precautions to avoid sitting beside him. There were only two empty seats left, one in the far corner and the one beside Gaara. Sakura and I were going to be split up, and one of us was going to be sitting next to him. I sighed knowing that it would be me.

I left Sakura standing in the doorway wearing a worried expression, and took my seat. I needed to get my head back the game. I wasn't worried about him. I wasn't worried about what people were saying or how they would react. There was only one person I needed to worry about, and that was me. No one else mattered.

I made a great show of opening my textbook and all but slamming it on the desk. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of looking back. I stuck my nose in the air and waited for Iruka sensei to show up and begin the lecture. The youngest teacher at Konoha High strolled in a minute later.

Iruka besides being much younger was also a lot shorter than the other teachers as well and was fairly average or normal, compared to the others. Iruka never appeared to have any odd or eccentric quirks that set him apart from the rest. Gai was the craziest of all the teachers in my own opinion. Everything he did he did with such flair and gusto. It was often exhausting to be around him, but a lot of the time his excitement and zest were contagious which made him perfect to be a phys. ed. teacher. Whenever I was around Kurenai I often found myself in a strange, dissociative state. Asuma sensei was so laid back it was almost worrisome; and he was always smoking. I half expected that if the school board were to let him he would light up in the middle of classes. Then there was Kakashi, I couldn't even begin to describe Kakashi. He was the second youngest teacher at the school, but his silver hair and wise yet grumpy attitude he always seemed much older. There was a large scar that ran across the bridge of Iruka sensei's nose, but other than that he was quite plain and ordinary.

Iruka set up his own books and sheets of paper in front of him at his desk and then, upon noticing that Gaara and I were present today, addressed the two of us in particular. "Nice of you two show up today."

Gaara didn't react, but I hung my head.

"You two missed some very important information about a term project yesterday."

Neither of us responded.

"I explained to the class how this year, we're going to be working on a major assignment that's going to take the whole semester. Because it's such a large project, the class was assigned partners. As everyone else already chose their partners at the beginning of class yesterday..."

I shot Sakura a what-the-hell look across the room. She shrugged back at me sheepishly.

"...You and Gaara will be partnered together."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So hey guys, let me ask you all something. Who is your favourite Naruto/Naruto Shippuden character and why? Like, obviously you guys like Gaara ^.^ ...but I noticed we've also got a Kiba Inuzuka fan hanging around ;) and there's more than likely others too ...So yeah, who all do you like? :)

And BTW, thanks for the reviews :D I really do mean it, they're awesome! Let me know what you guys think of the changes!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hey, how's everyone? Sorry again if I confused anybody with my switch over! Just for clarification:

Reiko is the goody-goody twin. It was originally in her POV I was writing. I only made it up to chapter 3 writing with her, but I went back and changed them all. So now none of the chapters are from her POV.

Leiko is the ruder, mean-ish one. It's her POV that I switched to.

Thank you so much everyone for the input and your patience :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

"_This year, we're going to be working on a major assignment that's going to take the whole semester. Because it's such a large project, the class was assigned partners. As everyone else already chose their partners at the beginning of class yesterday..."_

_I shot Sakura a what-the-hell look across the room. She shrugged back at me sheepishly._

"_...You and Gaara will be partnered together."_

I snapped to attention.

Well then.

Iruka slipped two sheets of paper out of his stack and handed one to each of us. "That's the assignment outline. Read it over, the pairs are going to pick their event at the end of the week."

'Event'? I skimmed over the assignment sheet in front of me. Each student will have a partner; together the pair will choose any great historical event and write an in-depth paper on their chosen topic as well as give a presentation to the class. 'Presentations, always fun.' The rest of the sheet went into specifics about how the project was supposed to be completed and what information Iruka was looking for, but for the most part I had gotten the basic idea.

I stole a glace over at Gaara who seemed to be even less interested in this class than I was; something that I might've deemed impossible if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes.

Iruka started the lecture then. He droned on and on about things that I couldn't have cared less about. I mean, it wasn't as though I wasn't interested in history and it wasn't as though I didn't think history was important. A lot of the stories that were in our textbook were interesting enough to be sure, but studying them took all the fun out of it. I recalled a quite from one of my favourite authors, 'Analyzing humour is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.' Most of history wasn't humorous by any means, but it was the same applicable idea.

The dismissal bell seemed to ring only moments later. I guess that's what happens when you completely zone out. Gaara was out the door in a flash, just as he had been at the end of psychology the previous day. As much as I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the socials project, and as much as being around Gaara worried me, I thought I had ought to breach the subject of our assignment with him.

I hurriedly followed him out. He was through the hall and out the main entrance before I'd barely left the class. It was only when we got outside that I caught up with him.

"Hey, wait up a minute!" I called.

Gaara kept walking.

"Hey! Just a second!"

Gaara stopped but didn't turn around to face me.

"What do you want?" he demanded in the dark, low voice of his.

"It's about our socials project. When do you want to get together to work on it?"

"I don't."

"Listen, I'm not crazy about this assignment either, but I don't plan on doing the whole thing by myself."

"It's not the assignment. I don't want to work with you. Stay away from me."

My eye twitched and the corner of my mouth angled downward. "Well I'm not going to trust my entire grade to let you do it by yourself either! If we work together on this-"

"I, am not, working with you. I can't stand you; I hate you."

I scoffed, what the hell was this? "What do you mean you hate me? We barely know each other," I threw my arms up. "Haven't I been trying to get along with you?" That sentence seemed odd for me to say. It was true and yet, as far back as I could remember, I hadn't gone out of my way to try and get along with anybody.

"You think you can talk my ear of for a day and suddenly become my best friend?" he snarled.

"I didn't say anything about being best friends, I just... I was trying to get to know you for heaven's sake!"

"I don't know you and I don't want to get to know you. I hate you," he repeated.

My eyes narrowed at his vicious words; I told myself they didn't hurt because I didn't care what he thought of me. "So what else is new?" I charged back. "Everyone around here hates me. You think you're so persecuted because you're the new guy? It'll blow over for you, you have a fresh slate with these people," I shouted, gesturing to the school behind me. "You could get along with them if you tried. They've already formed their opinions about me. Quit acting like you're so hard done by!"

"You don't know anything about me," he hissed. "You better shut up."

"Or what? You'll glare me to death!? I'm not afraid of you!"

Gaara seemed taken aback suddenly by what I had said. He regained his composure after a moment though and said again, "You don't know anything about me."

"And why do you think that is!?" I demanded without missing a beat. "You won't talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Well then it's your own damn fault that I don't know anything about you."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Have I given you a reason not to?"

"I don't trust anybody. You're just like everyone else."

"If you believe that then YOU'RE the one who doesn't know anything about ME."

"I don't want to know anything about you. I don't give a damn about you. The only person who matters to me, is me."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do," I said quietly but firmly and walked away.

* * *

I didn't know where that had come from. What had gotten into me? I was acting so strangely lately. Yelling at someone? Picking a fight? That wasn't me. I had learned a long time ago that if I wanted to function in society I had to keep my negative emotions in check and yet, he had made me so mad! Making a judgement call about me before he even got to know me!

I instantly realized the irony in that statement.

But still! He was infuriating! Saying those things to me, and yet... 'The only person who matters to me, is me,' I replayed his words in my mind. He had sounded so much like me when he said that. The only person I ever cared to look out for was myself; so why was I suddenly so wrapped up with this guy?

"Hey, where'd you go?" Sakura called suddenly, tapping me on my shoulder. I winced briefly at the contact.

"Just...for a walk," I muttered.

"Well come eat lunch with Ino and I. You bailed yesterday; we have so much to talk about!"

The three of us stalked into the cafeteria and dumped our lunch bags out on one of the free tables. A grand total of three apples, two granola bars and lettuce sandwich dropped in front of us. I shot a scrutinizing look at the other two and they came back with guilty expressions.

"I'm on a diet," Ino said.

"Me too!" said Sakura, and then the two of them looked at me.

"Oh yeah, I'm on this diet, where I don't have any money," I said wryly. Sakura and Ino looked worried. "Its fine, things are just a little tight right now," I smiled blankly, picking up my apple. It wasn't any of their business anyway.

"You should go over and get some food from Choji," Ino commented, and pointed across the room. Choji and Naruto were gobbling down bowls of pork ramen like they hadn't had a meal for weeks.

"Man, where do they put it all?" Sakura commented.

I turned back and took a large bite out of my apple. It was exceptionally crisp and juicy for this time of year.

"So hey, speaking of Valentine's Day," Ino said suddenly.

"We weren't," I managed, my mouth still full of apple.

"Well we're going to ...It's in less than two weeks! Who do you think we're going to get Valentines from this year?"

It was the basketball game all over again. Everyone got cards and gifts from the same people every year. I could speak up and end this line of the conversation within thirty seconds, but I didn't want to ruin their fun. Besides, who knew what the next topic was going to be. They might start talking about clothes next! I shuddered at the thought.

For years I had been criticized for my clothing choices. Dark, baggy hoodies, graphic tees, long, flared jeans with tears, and converse, always converse. Sakura and Ino shouldn't blame me for not wearing overstated, girly clothes. They spent their whole lives trying to stand out; I spent my whole life trying not to.

"...Well obviously," Ino's voice rocked me from my internal monologue. "What do you think Lei?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, having no idea what we were talking about.

"See, even Lei thinks Lee is going to try again this year."

'I love it when that happens,' I mused.

"Sakura, Lee isn't going to give up. Neither is Naruto," I added. "Accept it."

"But they're so annoying."

'Yeah, must be annoying having boys wanting to date you,' I thought sarcastically.

"In any case," Sakura continued, "is it safe to bet that Shikamaru and you are going out again?"

"Probably," Ino answered. "But he seems kind of busy with student council stuff this year."

I pinched my nose and shook my head. Who was it that had thought it would be a good idea to put the laziest student in the school, in charge of student council?

"Who do you want to ask you out Lei?" Ino's voice cut in.

Gaara.

I choked on my words even though I hadn't even said them aloud.

"Leiko are you alright?" Sakura asked, patting me on the back.

I coughed again before I could answer her, "Oh yeah, just uh, choked on my apple," I answered.

Where had that come from!? Gaara was so frustrating! He was irritating and rude and... and yet there was just something about him that I couldn't seem to let go of. I couldn't get him out of my mind. What had he meant by saying that I didn't know anything about him? Of course I didn't, but to bring up such a thing in an argument almost made it seem like there was something deep and dark that Gaara was hiding.

"I know who Lei wants to ask her out," Ino said with a wink.

I narrowed my eyes at this comment and thought for a moment. They couldn't suspect I was interested in Gaara, not yet. No I wasn't even interested in Gaara! Then it hit me. I had been attracted to another at one point within the past couple years. But I had burned that bridge a long time ago. Apparently picking on people's younger cousins, namely Hinata Hyuga, was frowned upon in that family. I sighed my response.

"Shino might ask you out," Sakura interjected.

I had to fight to keep myself from choking once more. "Shino, if he manages to ask out anybody it would be Reiko or Hinata. It's not going to be me."

"We figured Kiba was going to ask out Hinata."

That's where I zoned out of the conversation. The problem with this school was the girl-to-guy ratio was way too large. At about 1:2, nearly half the guys wouldn't get dates if only because of the numbers. Not that I cared. Behind us, the voices of a hundred students buzzed and amalgamated together to form a long monotone. In its own way it was something comparable to white noise; in its own way, it was relaxing.

* * *

My class right after lunch was chemistry. Kakashi sensei was late as per usual. He gave some lame excuse about a black cat crossing his path and having to go the long way around the school so as to avoid the bad luck. I was so sure. I just knew that, back in his own high school days, Kakashi was one of those kids who would have always said that his dog ate his homework. I rolled my eyes.

It appeared that Gaara wasn't in this class. Not because he was skipping, just because he wasn't enrolled in it. That meant he was in all of my classes except this one. I was in for an interesting semester to be sure.

Chemistry went off without a hitch; miraculously. We were studying electricity and had a lab to do. Naruto actually managed to not blow himself up even though he seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Sasuke got the hang of things immediately, of course.

Gym was the last class of the day. The tension in the atmosphere could have been grabbed, folded up, and used for origami with how tangible it was.

Small groups of guys would form and glare across the court at Gaara. They weren't even bothering to hide the fact that they were gossiping about him anymore. Gaara would stare right back but thankfully, no one crossed the neutral zone to start a war with each other.

If Gai sensei was aware of what was going on, he was doing a really good job at ignoring it. I tried asking myself again why I cared and came up with the excuse that if there was a fight I might get caught in the crossfire. A mere concern for my own safety is what it was.

Sakura and Ino stuck pretty close to me all class. I was pretty sure they had the same reasoning I did. They didn't want to get stuck in the middle of a fight. I guess they figured I was tough enough to protect them if one did break out. I laughed inwardly at the thought. While I was fairly capable at holding my own in a fight, the desire to protect someone else is not the first priority I would have.

Phys. Ed. went by without too much difficulty though. Nothing overtly terrible happened.

* * *

Of course the real trouble only started when school was over.

Believing that we'd all dodged a bullet, I got changed out of my gym strip and stuffed the clothes in my backpack. It was time to take them home to wash. I was a little later getting out of the change room than the others. I was already exhausted by the end of most days. Having Gym class last didn't seem to pump me up like it did most kids; and besides, today's class had been abnormally nerve-racking. I wondered if all subsequent classes were going to be this stressful.

I pushed out of the change room, out of the gym, and out of the school.

I wasn't outside for two seconds before it felt like my face was going to freeze off. The bus was definitely going to be my best option today.

I started to make my way over to the bus loop, but in the middle of the parking lot in front of me, there was an approximate circle of guys and a handful of girls standing around Sasuke and Gaara. Gaara was struggling against something and upon closer inspection I saw what it was. One of the guys had Gaara's arms trapped behind his back.

Sasuke suddenly raised his arm high and formed a fist with his hand. My mouth fell open, dreading the inevitable. Sasuke's fist came down and connected hard with Gaara's jaw. My breath caught in my throat. There was a chorus of approval from the crowd and the jeering continued when Sasuke hit him again, and then once more.

My first instinct was, unexplainably, to involve myself; prompting me to believe that it was seriously time to get a brain scan. But really, why should I involve myself? It wasn't any of my business. Besides, hadn't Gaara explicitly warned me to stay away from him? Hadn't he said he hated me? Why should I help him?

Sasuke let fly with another right cross.

"HEY!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** R&R? ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** One more final! One more final! One more final! My freedom is so close I can taste it LOL ;P

Haha, anyway, I was going to wait a couple days to post this chapter, just so I could try and start a more even updating timeline, but I just can't, not, update ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

_There was an approximate circle of guys and a handful of girls standing around Sasuke and Gaara. Gaara was struggling against something and upon closer inspection I saw what it was. One of the guys had Gaara's arms trapped behind his back._

_Sasuke suddenly raised his arm high and formed a fist with his hand. My mouth fell open, dreading the inevitable. Sasuke's fist came down and connected hard with Gaara's jaw. My breath caught in my throat. There was a chorus of approval from the crowd and the jeering continued when Sasuke hit him again, and then once more._

_My first instinct was, unexplainably, to involve myself; prompting me to believe that it was seriously time to get a brain scan. But really, why should I involve myself? It wasn't any of my business. Besides, hadn't Gaara explicitly warned me to stay away from him? Hadn't he said he hated me? Why should I help him?_

_Sasuke let fly with another right cross._

"_HEY!"_

As if on autopilot, I stormed over to the group, glaring at Sasuke the whole time. I saw Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru in my periphery as I moved. They were going to catch hell when I was done with Sasuke. I could feel everyone's eyes burning holes through me, but I had to ignore them for the time being.

"What the hell Sasuke!?" I shouted when I was close enough. "Are you crazy?" I stomped right in between Sasuke and Gaara, forcing Sasuke backwards. "What do you think you're doing!? And you!" I charged, turning to Naruto, "you of all people should know better than to pull a stunt like this!" I stared disappointedly at him for a moment and then gave Shikamaru and Kiba their own doses of my disproval.

"Get out of here Lei, this doesn't concern you," Sasuke said, cutting in.

"Like hell it doesn't!" I shouted back.

Turning a one-eighty, I faced off against the guy holding Gaara. He was a classmate of ours but not someone I knew very well. He was taller than anyone else in the crowd and wider too. He had a semi-confused, semi-annoyed look on his face.

"Let him go!" I demanded.

Gaara was hanging his head, all but unconscious.

"Let him go now!"

The guy checked over my shoulder for a look of approval from Sasuke. He must have gotten one for a moment later the behemoth all but threw Gaara on top of me.

Not prepared for such an act, I buckled under the sudden weight and force against me and Gaara and I collapsed together on the ground. Cold, wet slush instantly began to seep through my clothes, all to a refrain of laughter from the surrounding assembly of idiots.

Angrily I pushed Gaara off of me; he could fend for himself for a moment. I stood up to face my adversary. "Real cool Sasuke," I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. The cold that clung to my jeans and sweater was biting at me through the fabric, but I wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of showing my discomfort.

"You're the one who got involved Lei, don't blame me."

"I wasn't talking about that."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me in confusion.

"You're such a coward," I spat, venom pouring out with every word.

"Coward?"

"You can't even fight your own battles. You wouldn't take Gaara on single handed, you had to get this Neanderthal behind me," I jerked my thumb over my shoulder, "to hold Gaara down for you. You had to get a gang of all your friends together in case something got out of hand." I smirked condescendingly at him. "You're such a looser."

Leiko: 1, Sasuke's Ego: 0

Behind me I heard Gaara start to shuffle around. He coughed once, twice. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, no body breathed. Gaara coughed again.

"Everyone leave, now." I said the words quietly, but there was a real warning behind them.

"You think you can just come around here and tell us what to do?" a tall skinny girl pushed her way through the crowd to the front. Breakfast and dinner at McDonalds for a week wouldn't have hurt her figure; and if she happened to breakout from the malnutrition no one would've been able to tell as she would've hidden it quite well under the sheet of makeup on her face. She didn't seem to be able to cover up the Pinocchio sized nose she had though.

"Hey look, another Sasuke Sheep. Don't see those everywhere," I muttered sarcastically. "Honey, he's not going to sleep with you," I smirked.

"Mind your own business."

"I could say the same to you, but that extra large nose of yours just gets into everything doesn't it?" I gestured to the protrusion in the middle of her face.

"You sure talk smart for someone who's got as many issues as you do."

I didn't respond.

"Ooh, plucked a nerve, didn't I?" she teased. "You know, it's a shame your mom isn't here to see you now."

"Step away from me," I growled.

"Ooh, you can dish it out, but you sure can't take it. You know we all know why you're here, why you're defending Gaara," she continued. "He's just like you, you know."

"Walk away," I warned. The intense stares of those around me were forcing a cold sweat to overcome my body.

The girl walked around me tauntingly. "He's a freak just like you are."

I lowered my gaze, a snarl forming on my lips.

"He's a loner and an emo, goth, punk wannabe just like you. Your kind has to stick together right."

I'd dealt with this before. I could handle it. I had to handle it. I balled my hands into fists at my sides and waited for the harlot to have her fun. "Get out of my face."

"Or what, you'll go home and cry about it? You'll whine to your aunt 'cause you don't have any friends?"

"I've got friends."

"No one here," she gestured to the people in the group around me.

"I wouldn't want to be friends with any of the scum here," I spat, looking up straight into her eyes.

She slapped me so hard and it was so unexpected the force threw me to the ground and sent my glasses off my face and into a puddle of mud and slush a foot away. The side of my face was stinging and the cold didn't help one bit. I smiled through the pain though, and said, "You hit like a bitch."

That comment earned me a swift kick in the ribs. The air rushed out of my lungs.

"Cut it out," Sasuke said flatly. "Let's get out of here, we're not going to get anywhere with her here."

The herd of people around me started to mumble and shuffle and disperse as I fought to catch my breath.

Sasuke's last comment was, "This isn't over," and then he left too.

* * *

I stayed sitting on the ground. I couldn't get more soaked than I already was, but I did pull myself up so I could lean against one of the concrete parking stops behind me. I pulled my glasses out of the slush.

Gaara had righted himself and was sitting a couple feet away.

"What did you do that for?" he asked condescendingly. He made it sound like I was an idiot. Hell, I probably was.

"'Cause I just don't know when to keep my mouth shut," I answered flatly.

"This doesn't change anything."

I sighed, "I didn't do it to change anything."

"Why did you do it then?"

I had been staring blankly ahead at nothing, but for this answer I turned to face Gaara. "Earlier today you accused me of not knowing anything about you. I know a lot more than you think." I held his gaze for a moment, unable to read anything behind his eyes and then I turned back around.

"This doesn't change anything," he said again.

I just shook my head and pushed myself up off the ground. My bus was long gone and my clothes were soaked. If I had to walk home the least I could do was to change back into the dry clothes in my backpack.

With a sigh I sulked back into the school, back into the gym, and back into the change room.

I striped off my slush and grit covered clothes and dug my gym clothes back out of my bag. I debating running a quick shower as I was chilled straight to the bone, but I knew I'd be more comfortable taking one at home.

I changed as quickly as I could and then replicated the actions I had taken when I was leaving the school less than a half hour ago. Only this time, something was different.

This time, when I stepped out of the gym I found an austere, redheaded male leaning against a locker waiting for me.

He too had changed his clothes, but I began to wonder if the look of frustration and annoyance on his face wasn't just a permanent feature of his being. I felt like asking him what exactly he was doing here, but I also felt that if he had something to say it would come out in due time.

After all, he couldn't be waiting for me in any case, right? He still hated me, still found me annoying... Nothing had changed...

I caught Gaara's gaze for a long moment, his deep, soulful eyes still a mystery to me.

'Maybe that was it,' I told myself. 'Maybe it's the mystery aspect of him.' I'd always loved puzzles and mysteries. I sighed. That was such a shallow, superficial answer I had come up with for myself and I knew it.

'He's just like you, you know,' the girl had said to me. I wagered that she wasn't far off.

I strode past Gaara, through the hall and out the side door; walking slower than I usually did. Through the hallway and along the sidewalk I heard an echoing pair of feet behind me. I wasn't going to question it. I was curious but speaking now might break the spell and send Gaara away.

So instead I kept walking. I walked down the sidewalks, listening to my boots crunch against the ice and the remnants of snow, all the while keeping an ear tuned for the shadowing steps behind me. I watched intently, my breath come out in little white clouds that disappeared in front of me before I could step towards them.

I occupied myself with thoughts about how much the scenery would change in just a few short weeks. Right now everything was gray. The ground was gray; the sparse twigs that lined the sidewalk were covered in gray frost and leftover snow. In just a few short weeks the snow would be gone and tiny green buds would appear on tree branches and in pockets on the ground and in peoples' yards.

Block for block Gaara matched me; neither of us saying anything.

Finally I came to an all too familiar house and stopped in front of it.

Gaara caught up to me, didn't say anything for a moment, but then came out with, "This is where you live?"

I looked over to Gaara and then back towards the house. It was an older building, but by no means worn down. The once white siding was a little faded, a little yellow, but it wasn't chipped or cracked. There was a tall, eight-foot high fence running from the middle of the sides of the house, all around the back yard. The front yard was open and still cluttered with organic debris that hadn't been raked up before the first snowfall back in October.

"It's my aunt's house. I don't think she ever expected to take in two kids."

"I didn't ask for your whole life story."

"This is where I live." I paused a beat and then added hesitantly, "Would you like to come in? Can I offer you tea or hot chocolate or anything?"

Gaara didn't give me a verbal response. Instead he backed away from me and continued walking down the street.

I watched his rust coloured red hair disappear slowly down the street for a moment before I said quietly, unsure of whether he would hear me, "Thank you for walking me home."

* * *

"What happened to you!?" Reiko demanded of me when I walked in the door.

I checked myself in the mirror on the wall and, seeing my dishevelled state, answered, "I walked into a door. Or you know, whatever the going excuse is these days." My clothes were dry, but being in my gym strip was suspicious enough. Added to that, my soft, silver hair had come out of its perfect placement in my flowing braids and there was dirt and grit smeared along the side of my face and arms.

"Leiko, for crying out loud were you fighting again."

"Get off my case," I grumbled, kicking off my shoes in the doorway and dropping my bag on the floor.

"You're going to get into so much trouble."

I pushed past my sister and headed for the bathroom. I resented her assumptions about me. I hadn't been in a fight for years. Of course the telltale signs always remained the same though. If I had been in her position and had seen me coming into the house looking like I was, I would have come to the same conclusion too.

I striped off my clothes and stepped under the steaming water. It scorched my frozen skin, burning me, but at the same time it felt so nice. I slowly worked out the kinks from my stiff bones and muscles and scrubbed my face with my hands. I washed up quickly but continued to let the hot water run over me for a time. I let the steam clear the cold fog from my brain as I thought back to what had happened today.

'_He's just like you, you know.'_

'_I don't know you and I don't want to get to know you.'_

"I don't trust anybody. You're just like everyone else."

'_If you believe that then YOU'RE the one who doesn't know anything about ME.'_

'_I don't want to know anything about you. I don't give a damn about you. The only person who matters to me, is me.'_

'_You don't believe that anymore than I do.'_

'_He's just like you, you know.'_

'_This doesn't change anything...'_

The words echoed in my ears and the scenes played out in front of me like a DVD stuck on an infinite loop.

We were just over a week into the new semester and already the quite, non-confrontational lifestyle I had worked at building up over the last year or so was threatening to fall apart. "What a drag," I muttered, accidentally picking up Shikamaru's most common phrase.

What had been with him, Naruto and Kiba? Out of the entire school I expected them to have had more sense than that. Well, that might have been a lie. Shikamaru I was sure was just too lazy to get involved. Kiba's case was sort of understandable however; as he was always looking for something high energy to get into. But Naruto? Naruto had been mistreated when he had first come to school too. Why would he want to do that to someone else?

The water streaming down onto me started to run cold so I shut off the tap, wrapped my hair in a towel and then got another to wrap around my body.

* * *

Hiro met me when I stepped out of the bathroom door.

"Hey baby," I said warmly, and knelt down to scratch his face. His long, thick fur breezed off of him and stuck to my skin where it was still wet. Tan, black and gray filaments covered my arms almost instantaneously. "You're my little prince aren't ya Hiro? Aren't ya?" I cooed at him. He panted happily beside me.

I stepped back into the washroom to wash his fur off. My dog was still waiting loyally right outside the door when I stepped out again. "Want to go for a walk boy?" Hiro's tail immediately began wagging. "Go get your leash boy. Leash!" Hiro skidded out from under my feet and bolted through the house. I knew I wouldn't even have time to get dressed before he came back with the desired object.

I scooped up my clothes from the bathroom floor and shuffled awkwardly in my towel with my arms full into my room. I dropped my clothes into my hamper and turned to close the door behind me but Hiro burst in, leash in his mouth.

"Good boy," I said taking the leash and patting his head. I put it on top of my dresser and dug through my drawers for some suitable clothes. There wasn't much to choose from. That is, I had a lot of clothes, but they were all basically the same; there was all but zero variety. Ninety-five percent of my clothes were black, navy blue or black and navy blue. The other five percent belonged to a collection of white clothes. Shirts mostly, but two hoodies and a pair of board shoes were also included.

I selected a tight-fitting, low cut graphic tee with a silver eagle outlined on the front. I also took my flared jeans, knowing full well that the cuffs would be dragging in the snow and ice, but not really caring. The last thing I picked up was my heavy black hoodie with the school's logo on the front.

I made a mad dash to the washroom to brush my hair and then said, "Let's go boy," nodding from Hiro towards the door. Hiro darted out in front of me; I followed behind him considerably slower. I had to step over my backpack that I'd left in the doorway of the mudroom. I'd take care of it when I got back. I bent down and clipped the silver clasp of the leash around Hiro's leather, studded collar.

"C'mon boy, let's go out for a walk."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh dear, going out for a walk! Is that really safe? O_o What's going to happen!?

Thanks so much for the reviews guys ^_^ Really! It super makes me want to update for you all. And you know, if you have a suggestion of what I can do to improve my writing style or the story, let me know :D You guys are seriously the best!

Oh, also, question: Gaara walking Lei home? Believable? Like, it's not 100% in Gaara's character, but it's already chapter 6, so I need something to start happening between them Lol. It's a lot harder than I would've thought to write a Fic for Gaara, because he's so cut off you know?


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** (The following –not the story, just my A/N– is a bit of a spoiler to the recent Manga update, take note!)

...So, I don't know how many of you are keeping up with the Manga, but for those of you who know what happened recently, I'd just like to have a moment of silence for our fallen comrade.

Thank you.

I feel like it's partially my fault what happened :C I mean, right after I like a character, or mention that I like a character, something like this always happens! Just last chapter didn't I say who Lei was into!? Man, I loved that guy :'(

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

"_Let's go boy," I said, nodding from Hiro towards the door. Hiro darted out in front of me; I followed behind him considerably slower. I had to step over my backpack that I'd left in the doorway of the mudroom. I'd take care of it when I got back. I bent down and clipped the silver clasp of the leash around Hiro's leather, studded collar._

"_C'mon boy, let's go out for a walk._

The two of us stepped out of the front door into the cold, dark night. The daylight was lasting longer and longer these days, but the sun was still setting rather early and when the sun left, whatever heat there was went with it. I snuggled more tightly into my hoodie.

Hiro and I jogged for the first bit. I needed to, to keep warm. My prince was lucky; he had a great, thick coat to keep him warm and dry. I'd gotten Hiro when he was a puppy, he'd been with me just over five years now. When the rest of my family had died, I'd become shut in and antisocial so my aunt had suggested getting me a dog. I wasn't up for it at first. Being only ten years old I could barely take care of myself let alone another animal but my aunt had insisted saying, 'What ten year old doesn't want a puppy?'

I had done some research on the subject and debated getting a dog like a Rottweiler, or a Great Dane; each of the breeds having their own positive qualities. My aunt had taken me to the pound to try and find one but while we were there I had stumbled upon a kennel with a mother German Shepherd and a brand new litter of six pups. While most of the pups ran excitedly to the front of their cage to see me, one of the puppies was sitting alone in the corner with an insolent look in his eyes.

'That one,' I'd said instantly, pointing to the one in the corner. The attendant told me that one of the other dogs might be a better suit as they were friendlier. I told the attendant that if I'd wanted something friendly I would've bought a teddy bear.

The attendant took the puppy out of the kennel and upon handing him to me, the dog promptly bit me. I'd bit him straight back and the two of us had been best friends ever since. I smiled sincerely at the memory.

I was still smiling when an arguing couple in front of me grabbed my attention. About half a block up the road, a tall, brown-haired guy and a tall, blonde female seemed to be in the middle of an urgent debate. They looked to be about my age, maybe a little older but I was pretty sure I'd never seen them before. Even as far away as I was I could tell that the blonde was really pretty. She had a sporty figure and expensive looking clothes. The boy was a little taller than the female and fairly plain looking as far as I could tell. The two of them were speaking swiftly and gesturing with their hands in different directions. I might have taken them as a boyfriend and girlfriend, but I just wasn't getting that vibe.

Suddenly, they spotted me and started walking towards me. Great. I turned the corner of my mouth down and sighed. Whatever it was they were arguing about, I wasn't really up for being in the middle of it. I suppose that's what I got for not minding my own business.

"Excuse me!" the girl called as she neared. The two of them hustled over to me rather quickly, but slow enough to make sure they didn't slip on the icy sidewalk. "We're sorry to bother you, but um," the girl looked sheepish and uncertain for a moment, "We're looking for our brother."

I put two and two together instantly. These two were Gaara's siblings. They had to be. Two kids that I'd never met, just slightly older than I was; and if Gaara had continued walking after we stopped at my house, it made sense to believe that he lived somewhere nearby. "Gaara?" I asked, just to be sure. No harm in double checking.

The two of them shared a look of surprise. "Uh, yeah. I don't suppose you've seen him around?" the girl asked again.

I shrugged, "Not since he walked home with me."

The two of them shared another look, this time of disbelief. "Gaara, what?" the boy asked.

"Walked, home, with, me?" I arched my eyebrows and shook my head. It wasn't a hard concept to grasp. Although, considering Gaara's aloof behaviour, maybe it was.

Hiro started sniffing at the pair then. The two of them looked uncomfortable so I called, "Hiro, heel." My dog obediently looked up at me and stepped back. "Sorry. My dog Hiro; I'm Leiko," I said, really hoping I wouldn't have to shake hands after my introduction.

"I'm Kankuro," the boy said. "This is my sister Temari."

I nodded in response. The polite thing I'm sure would have been to say something like, 'I'm happy to meet you,' but I wasn't really. I didn't care much either way. They were interesting however; I would have never pegged them as siblings. The two of them looked so different; then if you threw Gaara into the mix? None of them could have passed for even cousins in my book, let alone siblings. Temari was tall, had an athletic figure, blonde and had dark green eyes. Kankuro was slightly wider, had brown hair and his eyes were almost black. Then, of course there was Gaara His blood red hair and sea-foam green eyes didn't seem to fit in anywhere.

"I'll keep an eye out for Gaara," I said, hoping to draw this little meeting to a close.

They both shared another look and I got real feeling that there was something I was missing.

"Uh, alright. Thanks. Um, be careful," Temari said hesitantly, and the two of them turned and left in the other direction.

'Be careful'? What was their damage? I wondered for a moment, watching after them.

* * *

Hiro and I kept walking. There was a small playground a couple of blocks over and it was one of my favourite places to go. There was only a small set of swings, a merry-go-round and a sandbox but it was usually empty. There were no small children nearby and at this time of year, no one was crazy enough to go out anyway.

Or so I thought.

Less than a block away, a distinctive mop of rust coloured hair was illuminated on the swings from the glow of the streetlights. I had come to the park for some peace and quiet, but somehow, for some reason, I wasn't disappointed.

"This place was my best kept secret," I said lightly as I neared. "My sister doesn't even come here."

Gaara didn't even look up, not that I expected him too. Nothing had changed after all.

I led Hiro to the swing beside Gaara and brushed the ice and snow off of it so I could sit down.

It looked as though I wasn't the only one who had showered and changed. Gaara was now in a very attractive leather jacket and dark-wash denim. His still wet hair had traces of ice flakes in it. I wondered if my hair was going to turn out the same, I hadn't dried it especially well.

Hiro parked himself right in front of Gaara's swing, sniffed and wagged his tale back and forth. He panted happily. "He likes you," I said, a hint of surprise in my voice. "Hiro usually doesn't warm up to people so quickly."

Gaara finally looked up and stared at Hiro for a moment. After a long minute Gaara reached out and patted Hiro on the head once. Satisfied, my prince laid down at our feet.

"Do you have any pets?"

I didn't really expect an answer, but before too long Gaara answered with, "There's a ferret in the house, and a salamander. They're not mine," he added after a moment.

Not his? His siblings then? Why didn't he just say they belonged to his siblings? I recalled then, what Gaara had told me before, 'I don't think of them as my family.' I wondered why. Even as much as I hated my sister, I still thought of her as my sister.

"That reminds me. I ran into Temari and Kankuro. They were looking for you." No reaction. "They seemed worried about you," I added.

"They were only worried about any trouble I was causing," he said flatly.

"That seems a little cold. You make it sound like they don't care about you."

"They don't care about me. They wish I was gone."

I opened my mouth to disagree, but really, Gaara had been right in what he'd said before. What did I know about his life? I felt like the more and more Gaara told me, the less and less I knew. Not knowing what to say, I faced forward and started to swing gently.

I looked up into the sky. Being right under a street lamp made the stars harder to see, but there was quite clearly a half-moon nearly right above us. There were no clouds, but the puffs of steam coming out of my mouth made up for that. I shivered suddenly, realizing how cold it was.

"It's pretty cold. How long have you been out here?"

No response.

I watched Gaara on the swing beside me. He wasn't moving; he was just staring up into the sky. I found myself, once again, being drawn to his black aura and I knew I was going to get myself in trouble if I kept this up. I needed to stay away from him just like my friends had suggested. I was going to get burned if I wasn't careful. But I couldn't help it. His fiery red hair, his smooth pale skin, his tattoo... Gaara's tattoo, I still didn't understand it. What did it mean to him? His personality seemed so contradictory to 'love.'

I thought back to when it had been me sitting by myself on the swings, hating the world and not trusting anyone. I had known what my reasons where, but what were Gaara's?

Not being able to think of anything else to say, I asked, "Why are Temari and Kankuro out looking for you?"

"To make sure I'm not getting into trouble," he growled.

"No, I know, you said that. I mean, my aunt doesn't send out a search party when I'm not home, and I've been known to get into my share of trouble."

"My father can't afford for me to get into trouble."

"Why not?" He didn't answer, only fueling my curiosity. I didn't put much stock in the relentless rumours I'd been hearing, but the way Gaara was acting made me ask, "Are any of them true? Are any of the rumours I've heard true?"

He waited a beat and then said, in his dark voice, "Yes."

I swallowed involuntarily. "How many?"

"A lot." There was a long, drawn out silence before Gaara said, "Are you afraid of me?"

"No," I answered back instantly, not bothering to think about it.

Gaara stared back at me, a sinister and dangerous look in his eyes.

Before I could even draw in a breath, before I my brain could process what had happened I was on my back in the snow, my knees caught up and bent over the seat of the swing. What had been slush this afternoon had turned into bitter, biting ice crystals in the cold; and they were digging into my head, neck and back.

But that wasn't what I was focusing on.

Gaara was poised over me. He was pinning my right wrist above my head with one hand and he had a switch blade in the other. The switch blade was at my neck, its polished stainless steel blade reflecting the silver moonlight into my eyes.

Knives meant slicing. Slicing meant blood.

Beside us Hiro started barking viciously, baring his teeth and snarling at Gaara.

Bared teeth meant biting. Biting meant blood.

"Are you afraid of me?" Gaara asked again.

Gaara's red hair, red tattoo. Red like the colour of...

"You don't scare me," I said through gritted teeth.

_'He's just like you, you know.'_

Above the knife and below Gaara's jacket I caught a glimpse of the leather wristband I had seen the other day. I really liked it, it was cooler than mine. My wristband was old and faded and had little cracks running the width of the band. The flat round studs were scuffed and dented from all the times I had tripped or knocked it against things and the clasps that held it in place were loose. Gaara's looked almost new. It was still a glossy black and had bright, square silver studs; four rows of them along the length.

Gaara pressed me harder into the snow and repeated his question. The ice was stinging my face. It was cold but it felt like I was on fire. Hiro's barking sounded like it was a mile away although he couldn't have been more than two feet away. Gaara's and my breath was coming out in cotton-like puffs, mixing and swirling between us. I stared deep into his eyes; I stared past the hatred and the bitterness, past the anger and the insolence daring him to make a move agaisnt me and at the same time trying to find his would-be motivation for doing so.

"Why should I be afraid of you? What can you do to me that hasn't already been done?" I glared up at him.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"You have no idea what I've already been through."

I heard quick, urgent paces in the snow then, and as suddenly as Gaara had appeared on top of me, he was pulled back. I felt two hands grab me around the shoulders and pull me up and away from my place in the snow. My feet got tangled in the chains of the swing for a moment but I managed to free myself. The awkward hold my rescuer had on me was not helping me in the least to stand properly and I stumbled back.

I saw, across the way, that it was Kankuro that had grabbed Gaara; that meant it was Temari that was holding me. The two of us engaged in an awkward, back-stepping dance as fought to keep steady.

"You're afraid of me. You all are. Everyone's the same," Gaara growled through clenched teeth, struggling against his brother's hold.

"I resent that," I hissed right back, still struggling to right myself properly with Temari's help. "I don't know anything about you? YOU don't know anything about ME? The school made a snap judgement about you? You're making snap judgements about me!"

'Shut up!' I ordered myself, 'shut up!' It was my number one, most basic rule to avoid conflict, so what was I doing? Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?

"Stop talking!" Temari whispered harshly in my ear, obviously following the same train of thought I had.

"Let me go," I grumbled, shrugging out of her grasp.

"You're lucky your dog was barking like he was, or we might not have found you in time," she said back to me.

"'Found me in time'? Please," I scoffed. "I can take care of myself. I don't need anybody to look after me."

"Sure looked different from where we're standing," Kankuro said, still holding Gaara.

"Well maybe you should find somewhere else to stand," I muttered. "Or maybe I will." I picked up Hiro's leash from the snow and led my still tense dog away from the scene. "I'll see y'all in school tomorrow," I called over my shoulder.

* * *

**Author's Note: **R&R? ^_^

And hey, Happy We-Survived-the-End-of-the-World-Day, LOL ;P


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Whew, nice long sabbatical there ^_^ Sorry it's been a while guys, I took an extended holiday lol.

So anyway, I really wrestled with how I was going to lay out chapters eight-ten. I've been working on them for quite a while trying to see how they work out/flow the best; especially with consideration to the really awesome advice in the reviews I've been getting. Thank you for those and I hope you guys like these next couple chapters :)

Also, I've added the days to the chapters where a new day starts (more for me than for your guys) just so I can keep the timeline clear in my head :) (So yes, I skipped Wednesday)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

**Thursday.**

Things had been quiet. Too quiet.

After the blow up that had been the first few days of classes, the apparent normalcy that had settled on the school so unexpectedly, was eerie and suspicious.

Wednesday had fortunately gone off without a hitch. Neither Gaara nor I had reacted in a negative way to the events of the day before, and it seemed as if Sasuke and his gang were keeping themselves out of trouble as well. There were menacing glared I had noted, when they had passed each other in the halls and serious tension in the air, but there hadn't been an incident. Perhaps their afternoon scuffle had satisfied their need for violence.

The bell had just rung for lunch and I was aimlessly wandering the halls. Not especially hungry and not in the mood to talk to, or even be around, anybody. I'd done a fairly acceptable job of avoiding people this morning; my classes had been quite quiet. The most exciting thing that had happened was Gaara and I had picked the topic for our research project in Socials class. When it had come down to us to pick our historical event, Gaara seemed neither to have, nor to want, an input in the matter, so I told Iruka Sensei we would be studying the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. He got a concerned look like I knew he would, but didn't ask us to change our topic. It was fun to unnerve teachers as one didn't get the opportunity to do so often.

I made my way down science hall, noting that the repairs on the burned section of wall had been completed. As I stood staring at them I wondered if the school board had come to any conclusions about who the culprit was. It hadn't been Gaara or I, and weirdly, there had been no talk about any sort of a suspect. There hadn't been any unexplained absences from any of my classes, and Sakura and Ino hadn't said anything either. It must have been an upper or lower class who had done it and had been punished discretely. Still, we should have heard something.

"Leiko! Leiko!"

'And so it begins,' I thought, the obnoxious calling of my name drawing me from my internal daze.

I turned to see Sakura and Ino running towards me down the hall. I was going to ask, out of habit more than anything, 'Where's the fire,' but I realised that recent events might call for a more neutral idiom.

"What?"

"There's been a change of plans," Ino said breathlessly. Her and Sakura were doubled over, hands on their knees trying to catch their breath. "Can you bring the snacks this year? Tenten is a little short on dough this year."

"Excuse me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"You know, the snacks. Chips, sodas, chocolaty things."

The blank look on my face did my speaking for me.

"It's our annual Pre-Valentines sleepover," Ino explained with exaggerated flourishes of her hands, as though it were obvious. "Don't tell me you've forgotten. We do it every year."

I furrowed my eyebrows. How could I have forgotten? I thought about that question for a moment and gave an inward smile. I had probably been trying to forget it on purpose.

"It's a school night," I grumbled sourly.

"So?"

"So can't you wait till tomorrow night? Tomorrow's Friday, we won't have to be up early for school the next day."

"But it's the seventh TODAY. My sleepover is always on the seventh. It's always one week before Valentines. You wouldn't have me ruin a six year tradition would you?"

"I wasn't invited," I said shrugging, trying anything to weasel my way out. It was the same thing every year! A claustrophobic room packed full of girls all giggling and squealing about boys and playing stupid games, and more recently complaining about how much weight they were going to gain by eating all the snacks.

"No one was 'invited.' It's been open invitation for all the girls since grade fi-" Ino cut herself off.

'Open Invitation' or not, neither Reiko nor I had been welcome to Ino's sleepover in grade five. Additionally, it had taken a lot of pathetic pleading on Reiko's part for them to allow me to join them in grade six. No one had wanted me around back then, and as much as I resented it, I couldn't blame them.

"Well of course you're invited. You've been coming since forever," Ino said sheepishly with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Can you bring the snacks this year?" she asked again, a little less forcefully.

'No,' I thought about answering. I'd been saving up my money for stuff for me; stuff that I would enjoy. Not for stuff that I would have to share with other people. I had been looking at getting a new CD or a new book, maybe a new sketch pad or some jewelry. I didn't want to buy snacks. I didn't even like snacks. "Sure," I said, forcing a smile. "What time again?" I asked, desperately trying not to grit my teeth.

Smiles played on Ino's and Sakura's faces. "About five or six," Ino said. "Don't forget your sleeping bag or pyjamas," she reminded and then turned with Sakura to go back down the hall.

"No, wouldn't want to forget my pyjamas. I wouldn't want to have to go home before all the fun started," I said dryly.

* * *

I put myself on a mission then and went all through the halls searching for Reiko. After awkwardly passing Gaara once and Sasuke twice, I finally found Rei hiding in the library behind a textbook.

I hated to have to do this. I tasted bile in my throat and felt a tightening in my chest just at the thought of having to ask Reiko for a favour, but desperate times and all that. "Rei," I called, obtaining a disapproving glance from the librarian and about five studious students.

"What can I do for ya?" she asked with a smile.

I felt like throwing up. "Uhm, it's Ino's Pre-week, Valentines... day whatever tonight. You're going right?"

"Yeah of course. Aren't you? We both go every year."

'Not every year,' I thought bitterly. "Well, yes, but, I dunno I guess Tenten was supposed to bring the snacks this year, but she can't and Ino and Sakura wanted me to ask you if you'd do it." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Oh sure, I'll pick up some things after school."

Just like that. No arguments, no grumbling, not even a slight hesitation. She was too agreeable; she was such a pushover. She was weak.

"Do you want to come with me?" she asked suddenly.

No. No, a thousand times no.

"We'll see."

* * *

How I had gotten talked into this was beyond me. I punched myself for the millionth time as I tried to figure out what type of witchcraft Reiko had used on me. I could be home right now. Home: not packing and thinking up excuses to avoid that stupid party. Now that's multi-tasking. But no, I was trekking down town in the cold and the slush with my stunt double.

"What do you think we should get for everyone?"

Rabies. Rabies was legitimately the first thought that popped into my brain, but then I started wrestling with suggestions like, polio, mumps and bubonic plague. What about kitty litter? Was kitty litter an option?

"I'll wait for you up front," I said the second we entered the grocery store. The walk from the school to the store had been enough for me. No need to kill myself walking up and down the aisles.

"But I need you to help me pick out what everyone would like."

"We're teenage girls. 'We' meaning, 'you too.' If you don't know what we like by now, you've got bigger problems that need my help."

"But-" she persisted.

"Something that tastes great and has no calories," I said flatly, dropping myself onto a bench by the automatic doors. "Good luck finding whatever that is," I smirked. I gave my sister an you're-free-to-go, look and turned away. After a moment I heard her footsteps marching in the opposite direction.

I let up a pent up sigh, stretched my arms, cracked my neck and busied myself with people watching. People watching is the perfect time consuming distraction for supermarkets and other assorted retail shops; you get to see how stupid other people are, making your life seem way more satisfying.

The first person who caught my attention was an old lady with a beige, vintage handbag in the basket of her cart. She pulled a used tissue from it, wiped her nose and put it back in her bag. 'There's always one,' I mused. I vowed for the billionth time to sanitize my hands after using a cart, but knew I'd be too lazy to once the time came.

An aisle down there was a younger looking lady with a two foot tall toddler toddling behind her with her tiny hand on the hem of the woman's long coat. 'Well behaved kid,' I figured, comparatively. I'd certainly seen some real nightmares in my people watching days.

In the corner of my eye a swift, jerky movement caught my attention. I turned my head just in time to watch a small, blond haired kid, finish shoving some small, plastic toy into his backpack. I nearly laughed out loud. Amateur. The kid was probably only eight, so in his own defence he more than likely didn't know any better. Swift movements like his always got the attention of people; and using his backpack no less. I shook my head. I didn't know if this was the kid's first attempt, but I knew he was going to get caught if he didn't change his ways; if he didn't perfect a better technique. The kid's frantic eyes darted around in all directions. I turned my head so that he wouldn't catch me staring; it would ruin my fun if he thought he'd already been caught. The best part was when they thought they'd gotten away with it and then, just as they're out the door, you grab them.

I took to chewing the hangnail off of my left index finger, but kept the kid in my periphery. The little blond took another, careful look around and started hastily for the door, nearly running. 'Wrong,' I sighed to myself as I watched him rush towards me, towards the door, towards his freedom. Noticing that there was an EAS system in front of the door and banking on a hunch, just as the kid was within striking distance I stuck out my foot, tripping him. Sure enough, the second he fell through the security system the alarm went off. Because the kid was flat on his face, he couldn't bolt like I'd seen so many kids in his situation do before. What a loser. Next time he'd check for antitheft tags.

The blond haired boy looked up at me with a horrified expression and tiny tears forming in his emerald eyes.

"Oops. Sorry," I said quietly, a devilish grin on my face.

I didn't break eye contact with him, even when a security guard came over and hauled the boy to his feet by his armpits. There was such a look of betrayal in his eyes; there was hurt and disillusionment and fear. I smiled wider.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me kid?" A tall, portly man with a receding hair line and a tacky uniform stood poised over the assailant, a meaty hand grasping the boy's shoulder.

I looked up at the security guard and plastered a concerned, disapproving look on my face. It was the kind of look that said that I too, was shocked and dismayed at the delinquency of today's youth.

"Why did you do that!?" the boy screamed at me, his tears threatening to flow out of his green, already bloodshot, eyes.

I looked back up at the security guard with a perplexed and saddened look on my face. What had _I _done wrong?

"Don't blame her son," the guard said in a stern, but concerned voice. "Let's go have a talk."

The guard led the boy away, hand still on his shoulder. All the while the boy was staring back at me. There was a new emotion in his eyes now. In addition to the fear and betrayal and horror, there was now hatred. Hatred for me. I smiled wider, an evil glimmer behind my eyes.

Not knowing if the boy would understand or not, I mouthed to him, 'Be more careful next time.'

The boy knit his eyebrows at me and, after a second, turned to face the direction he was being led. I followed them with my eyes until groups of people and assorted clothing racks and discount stands blocked my view.

Satisfaction.

"That was kind of horrible of you," a not too familiar voice said right in my ear.

I leaped up from my place on the bench and spun around. A tall, sporty female with spiky blonde pigtails was standing right behind me.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" I charged.

"You got that poor kid in a lot of trouble," Gaara's sister scolded.

"Me? He's the one that decided to shoplift," I gestured in the general direction in which he and the guard had left in.

"You could have let him stew over it for a couple days. He would probably have come back and returned it if his parents hadn't found out."

I laughed loudly. "That's predicated on me believing that people are inherently good. I don't buy that; not for a second," I smiled wickedly. "How else is the kid going to learn..." I shrugged and finished with '...the right way to get things done,' in my head.

"Whatever. It was still kind of mean. You could have talked to him yourself. You didn't have to get security involved."

"What is with your concern for this kid?" I asked, getting frustrated. "Did you know him?"

"No, that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?'

"Sometimes you've just got to show a little..." she trailed off.

I narrowed my eyes at her unfinished sentence. Had she been going for 'kindness'? Kindness was just another way to say weakness in my book.

I'd barely gotten through that thought before I choked on my words, recounting my behaviour towards Gaara the past few days.

I immediately banished the thought from my mind and ordered myself that there would be no more of that. Kindness is weakness and the weak get crushed.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked to change the subject.

As an answer Temari held up a plastic grocery bag with a flat box inside of it. "Party game for tonight."

"You're going to Ino's party tonight?"

"Yeah, aren't you?"

"I've been trying to get out of it," I said under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh you know, I have a lot of work to get done and it's a school night," I shrugged.

"I heard everybody goes to these things."

'Yes, because every girl in Konoha High can fit into one house for a sleepover,' I rolled my eyes. "Mostly everybody," I said good-naturedly and forced a smile.

"Well, maybe I'll see you there then."

"Maybe," I said in a strained, high pitched, sing-song voice, all but reaching my limit on politeness. I stood stock-still as Temari shuffled around the bench and then me before leaving the store. When the door finally closed behind her I let out a heavy sigh and started furiously scratching at my skin that had become inexplicably itchy.

"What's got you all twisted out?" Rei said, coming out of the closest checkout line a minute later.

"Nothing," I snapped. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So who is as stoked as I am that the managed to salvage what's left of the NHL season!? XD GO AVS! ...Yes, I can hear most of you laughing at me right now. Actually, I've always wondered... I'd wager that nearly 99% of my friends like either Anime or Hockey but not both. Where do you guys fall on this spectrum? ...I'm actually listening to the game as I type this. Landeskog just scored to tie it up in the third... And now it's 2-1 XD ...Yeah, I'll stop my running commentary... OMG THIS IS SUCH AN INTENSE GAME!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** HAPPY (belated...by like three weeks... I'm sorry!) SINGLES AWARENESS DAY ^_^ *eyetwitch*

...Hello, my name is snooze2010 and I am I hopeless romantic. I write amorous FanFiction because I have no romantic fulfillment in my life and use writing as an outlet for all the emotions that I would otherwise share with a significant other. The ersatz companionistic relationship between you and I when you review/favourite/follow my story gives me gratification that I can't otherwise attain.  
-Confessions of the recently Friendzoned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

My breath puffed out in front of me in little clouds. I imagined that that's what it would look like if smoke actually came out of people's ears when they were mad, like what happened in cartoons.

"You're going to have fun," Reiko insisted beside me.

"Obviously yours and my definition of 'fun' is not the same thing," I said flatly.

"You're not going to cause trouble tonight are you?"

"I could stay home if you have that little faith in me."

"Never mind. Stop being a downer."

I rolled my eyes.

Conned once again. Conned into spending my precious moments of alone time stuffed into a house that wasn't mine, doing activities I didn't enjoy, to make people I didn't care about believe that I wasn't as horrible as they had said I was. Yes, that was definitely 'fun.'

* * *

"Eh, you're here!" Ino called as we let ourselves into her house, as we were above knocking apparently.

"We're here!" Reiko called back cheerily as I took in the room.

Off the entrance hall was the living room to the immediate left. Sitting in a circle on the white carpet were Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Tenten, Temari, and a small handful of other girls from our school. All eyes turned to us. On the tables beside the gaggle of girls were open bags of chips, pretzels and clear glasses filled with multi-coloured, fizzing liquids. It appeared Reiko and I weren't the only ones who had brought snacks.

"You guys are a little late," Ino added in mock condemnation as she got up from the circle to greet us.

"Lei couldn't find her, uh... toothbrush. Leiko couldn't find her toothbrush."

"Her, toothbrush?" Sakura called from the living room, disbelief evident in her voice.

I mentally face-palmed. If Rei didn't want to divulge the real story of the fight we had had, where I had insisted that I wasn't going to go, that I wasn't going to spend my night with a group of 'cancerous, life-sucking wenches,' the least she could have done was come up with a more believable lie. Who loses their toothbrush of all things? You stick it in a porcelain cup in the washroom and it stays there until you get a new one.

"Yeah, you know, it was just one of those things," I shrugged unconvincingly.

"Well, come join us," Ino said after noticeably missing a beat.

Rei and I dropped our bags on the floor in the doorway as it appeared everyone else had done, and went to join the others in the living room. The circle of girls widened slightly as a lot of awkward shuffling took place to make room for us.

As I go to sit down I noticed that a large wine glass filled with slips of paper had been placed in the middle of the circle. That could only mean one thing: a party game. A game that involved revealing your deepest secrets or the risk of having an embarrassing task to perform was not my idea of a game at all. I lifted my glasses off my face and pinched the bridge of my nose. I started ruminating over just which one it could be.

Charades? No, there would have been more action, more shouting going on when Rei and I had let ourselves in. The same would be true for any moving-type game. That meant it was a quiet game, a sit-and-talk kind of game, a secrets game no doubt. Maybe the slips of paper were invasive questions you got to ask another player. Maybe the slips were the secrets and we all had to guess who they belonged to. I grit my teeth together inside my mouth. Any game that involved spilling secrets, in my own opinion, wasn't a game, but a form of torture.

I suppressed a sigh and plastered a smile on my face. "What are we playing?" I asked, teeth still grit together.

"Who Am I?" Sakura said with far too much enthusiasm.

'How do these people handle being that, excitable all the time?' I asked myself.

"It's my turn," Tenten called, reaching her long fingers into the wineglass and pulling out a slip of paper. With lithe movements she unfolded the slip and pressed it to her forehead where it stuck after a moment.

"Alright, you've got twenty questions. Go," Ino said, holding up her hands in front of her, ready to keep a tally of Tenten's queries.

'What ever happened to simple card games?' I wondered as game play continued around me.

"Am I a male?"

"Yes."

"Am I from Konohagakure?"

"Yes."

"Am I famous?"

This question was met with many uncertain glances across the circle, and numerous shrugs before I finally had to answer that, "Yes," the person whose name was stuck to Tenten's forehead was indeed famous in at least one respect... in a way.

"Am I still alive?"

"Yes."

"Am I older than thirty?"

Once again, as much as I tried to stay out of it, I had to answer this one by myself. "No," I informed. 'Ahh the burden of knowledge' I sighed to myself, already wishing I had picked a different topic for my Social's essay so I could non-guiltily avoid participation.

The questions and answers went back and forth until, with two questions left, Tenten finally came up with the correct response of Kakashi Sensei. The turns continued around while I got lost in thought. I found myself staring across the circle at Temari, Gaara's sister. What was she doing here? Obviously Ino had invited her, but why? Ino didn't know Temari and was certainly wary enough of her brother to make her rethink the invite of his sister. Then again, Temari really didn't seem anything like Gaara. Watching her across the room, she seemed... fun? Temari seemed light hearted and good natured. I guessed genetics only went so far when predicting personalities... unless Temari had gone through her own rebellious, emo-goth phase years ago.

What followed after Who Am I, Truth or Dare and Two Truths and a Lie, was a game of Never Have I Ever, complete with contraband. Alcohol.

After taking shots for: stabbing a 'friend' in the back, intentionally skipping class, lying to a teacher about anything worse than not having homework completed and thievery, I decided to make my call and said, "Never have I ever had a crush on Sasuke." I watched ninety percent of the girls reach for their glasses and the alcohol. Hinata and Temari were the only ones who refrained. If I had put more careful consideration into my 'Never' I could have horribly embarrassed Hinata by switching the name I used to Naruto instead of Sasuke. 'Next time,' I told myself, and sat back waiting for the next person to take their turn.

It didn't take a whole lot longer after that for the rest of the girls to become reasonably intoxicated and call it quits on the game. I had to laugh inwardly at them, having an exceptionally high tolerance for alcohol myself. I took a sidelong glance at Rei and found that she too, was having a harder than normal time balancing herself. Apparently genes only went so far when predicting your susceptibility to alcohol. While I would have just preferred to simply be better than her at something, I had to admit that my tolerance was probably a product of the past couple years that I had spent drowning in the stuff.

I retreated, for the next little while, into the dark recesses of my mind to ruminate on my thoughts in peace, until the phrase that signaled the coming end to the night caught my attention.

"It's getting late guys; we should get changes into our pyjamas."

All the girls wasted no time grabbing their bags which were still strewn in the doorway and slung them over their shoulders as they hiked up the stairs to the second floor.

Ino's house had always made me feel uncomfortable, unwelcome. It wasn't Ino's doing, but the house itself. It was so clean, so white, so sterile. The carpets were white, everything was always clean. Whenever I came over I was always hesitant to touch anything or disturb the neatness, the orderliness that embodied the house.

Ino's room wasn't much different. Being a teenage girl's room anybody would have guessed that there would be clothes everywhere, posters tacked up haphazardly on the walls and assorted nail polishes and sets of jewelry lying around. Well there were a lot of clothes, but they were folded neatly into drawers, or hung carefully in her closet. There were posters but they were systematically placed for aesthetic appeal; and the jewelry and other assorted girly things were all neatly stored on shelves which were otherwise free of clutter. It was the last place I'd ever expect to host a sleepover for a dozen teenagers.

"Uhm, I'm gonna hit the bathroom," I smiled dryly as Ino, Sakura and the all the other girls pulled out their pyjamas and unceremoniously began slipping into them in the middle of the room, unconcerned with their own privacy.

"Someone's shy," Ino winked as she lifted her shirt above her head.

I gave a small, contemptuous chuckle and left the room, closing the door behind me.

I crossed the hall to the washroom and was just reaching for the doorknob when it swung open away from my hand. Timid Hinata with her wide, innocent eyes stood in the doorway, pyjamas on her back and her regular clothes scrunched up in her hands. It hadn't even occurred to me until I thought back that I hadn't seen Hinata in the bedroom with the others. She was so quiet and withdrawn she often went unnoticed. It figured she'd scurry to the washroom to change as well. At least someone other than me had enough sense to be modest.

"Excuse me," I said curtly, and went to step around her.

"You know," she said softly, "I've been watching you. I can see it. You're not all that mean you know."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, caught off guard by her words.

"You're different when you're around him." She hadn't even said a name but my mind instantly fluttered in Gaara's direction. "I see it," she repeated.

"You don't see anything. You don't know what you're talking about," I snapped, shoving severely passed her and into the washroom. I was not going to have this conversation, least of all with her. I all but slammed the washroom door behind me.

What was it with people and having to have a theme washroom? What's more, what was it with ALL people having to have the SAME theme washroom? Dead relatives, family friends living and passed, ex in-laws, everybody I knew seemed to all have the same ocean theme. Sea stars, jars of sand with little marbles, paintings of sand dollars and conch shells, soft blue and green hues on the walls, assortments of shells in little dishes, porcelain toothbrush holders with fish painted on them. Why?

Putting the seashells out of my mind I stripped off my clothes and just stood for a minute staring at myself in the wide mirror over the sink. My skin was sickly pale and pulled taught over my slight frame. I was so ashen the fine white lines crisscrossing over my skin were all but invisible but the dark violet smudges under my eyes that had set in at age ten were ever present and unmistakable. Maybe one day I'd get a good night's sleep. Maybe one day I would be able to sleep through the night without waking white-knuckled and in a state of panic.

Getting far too working up at the thought, I shrugged on my pyjamas and checked myself over just one last time. I flattened a disobedient tangle of hair, and picked and plucked at my night clothes until I was satisfied with the way they hung on me. That was another reason why I hated being here, in situations like this. At school it was easier to ignore when the people would ignore or judge me. I could disregard it, or explain it away by telling myself that everyone was busy with their classes or extracurricular activities, that it didn't really matter what anyone thought because I didn't care about them. Here, being here and being ignored and judged would be at the forefront of my attention.

A demanding banging on the bathroom door jolted me from my bitter rumination.

"Snacks. Downstairs," Rei called at me through the door.

I sighed again, realized that I'd been doing that all day, realized I'd been doing that for years, and then swung open the door and trampled down the white shag carpet to the kitchen which was in total chaos.

Everyone seemed to be talking at once. Sakura and Ino were giving orders and directions as to where food was, what to bring out, where to put it and how it should be prepared. Everyone else was asking questions about where food was, what they should bring out and how it should be prepared. No one could hear each other because everyone else was talking. Then, all at once, no one could hear anything except the startled yelp that came from Tenten's mouth.

All heads turned to the brunette and to her right hand which was cradling the left. A small paring knife lay on the counter in front of her and a tiny stream of blood was seeping through her fingers.

It wasn't a reaction I even had to think about. I slammed my hand over my mouth to fight back against my immediate gag reflex. I tried desperately to tear my eyes away, or even to close them, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't think; I dared not breathe for any type of reaction between my stomach and my mouth would surely trigger uncontrollable dry heaving.

Violent screams erupted in my mind as tiny moisture droplets formed in the corners of my eyes.

I was about to full on lose it when Reiko bumped into me, pushed me aside, and blocked my view.

"Oh sorry Lei, didn't mean to push; kind of tripped there, you know. It's just one of those things," she said, copying my phrasing from earlier.

It took a long moment to return my body's physiological response to baseline and then a much shorter moment to become enraged at my sister. I knew what she had done. She rescued me and I instantly hated her for it. I hated her for it because it now meant that I owed her. She helped me out, helped me save face and avoid embarrassment and now, by society's standards, I would have to help her out; as if what I had already done for her in the past wasn't enough.

Sakura and Ino look over to us, finally realising what's happened; the two of them being the only other two that knew about my... condition. Worried looks crossed their faces and I did my best to come up with a smile in order to avoid any pressing 'Are you okay?' questions.

"Well, it looks like you've all got everything handled alright in here. It's getting a little warm isn't it?" I asked, tugging at the collar of my shirt. I tried desperately to keep any quivering tones out of my voice, "I'm going to take a quick little walk outside alright." My speech fell on deaf ears as everyone was still attending to the miniature, yet apparently life threatening, cut on Tenten's finger.

I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath, fought a residual wave of nausea, and hustled to the mudroom to find my shoes and coat.

* * *

The sun had gone down hours ago by this point and the night had gotten at least twice as cold as it had been this afternoon, especially with the consideration that I was now in only my pyjamas and coat. The streetlamps bathed the remaining snow on the ground in an orange glow. It was reflected up into the clouds and the fog in the atmosphere creating the impression that the sky itself was orange. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.

I started on an aimless walk, really just hoping to get away from everyone for a little while and clear my head. I passed houses and bridges and little thawing streams in ditches by the side of the road.

With no real destination in mind I ended up outside the city ball field. Baseball season would be picking up in no time; it wouldn't be long at all before there was fresh cut grass, and new chalk lines in the dirt. While I had no great aptitude for sports, I did, somewhat, enjoy them. Or I had at one point, I figured. I passed through the gate in the fence and clambered up onto the metal bleachers behind the backstop.

"Well, don't step on me," a snarky voice at my feet ordered.

"GAH!" I shouted in surprise at the sudden voice. I looked down to follow the voice and was barely able to make out a dark, hooded figure arched in the space between the bleachers.

The figure turned his head up towards me and dark, coal-like eyes met mine.

"Sasuke! What are you doing out here!?"

"Me? What about you?"

"I was just going for a walk. You're the one lurking in the shadows."

"I'm hardly 'lurking,'" he sneered.

"Lurking is exactly what you're doing. What are you doing out here?"

"I thought I was 'lurking.'"

"Don't get smart," I snapped. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to avoid annoying and nagging questions," he growled back.

If I wasn't so frustrated with his sarcastic comments and discourteous tone I might have laughed. That's why I was out here as well; to avoid the inevitable 'Are you alright's?' and to get the stench of hot, sticky iron out of my nose. "Whatever," I muttered childishly. "I'll get out of your way then." I didn't bother to hide the biting brevity in my voice.

"You better watch your attitude," he muttered behind me as I turned to leave.

"Is that a threat Sasuke?" I asked, facing back.

"It's a suggestion," he said sternly, rising from his knotted position on the bleachers.

He straightened to face me head on and I did the same. I wasn't afraid of him. I wasn't going to back down; not to the poor orphaned boy who thought he was better than everyone else. No, he and I were on equal terms in all respects and I was going to make him see that whatever it took. He wasn't any better than I was. He wasn't any stronger. No one was.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, I'm really sorry this chapter was up sooo late! I could go through the usual of 'I had a lot of stuff to do' but really, it seems that I just have trouble writing 'filler'/'character development' chapters, apparently lol.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Well, I just kind of went on a spontaneous hiatus there, didn't I? (Heh, 'spontaneous hiatus' that's kinda funny ;P ...) Anyway, yeah, I didn't even have the intention of taking this freaking long to update lol. To all the readers/reviewers who posted comments in spite of my absence, you have yourselves to thank for this update. I've been meaning to update for a while now (obviously) but I got a review today and said to myself 'Gosh darn it, you owe these wonderful, loyal people an update.' So here it is :) Hope y'all like it :) ...I hope you (and myself for that matter) can remember where I left off ha-ha.

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO MY FELLOW CANADIANS BY THE WAY :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it... Seriously though, does anybody know if I have to do this every time? Or is just once when I start a new Fic good enough?

* * *

**Friday.**

The fact that Ino and Rei had actually had to haul me to my feet this morning from my sleeping spot on the floor, should have been the first indicator as to how this day was going to go. I had been so dead asleep and so stiff and sore the two of them had needed to carry me to the shower and throw me in, clothes and all in order to wake me up.

I was not a morning person. I was ESPECIALLY not a morning person when the previous night had been uncomfortably hot, unreasonably cramped and had consisted of no more than three hours of sleep.

I had been too tired to even shriek when the ice cold water had beat down on me. I had just sat in the tub waiting for the water to warm as someone else had thrown my backpack and two extra towels in after me. When the hot water started to run cold again I hoisted myself out of the shower, threw my mushy, sopping clothes back into the tub and dried myself off as best I could. I was going to be a mess in school today. At least it was Friday.

As I'd taken so long to wake up and so long in slithering out of the shower I barely had a chance to get breakfast. Not only had the other girls nearly polished off any breakfast-worthy food in the house, but the whole lot of us nearly missed the bus. I had to grab a slice of half-toasted bread out of the toaster and a swallow straight from the carton of orange juice before running to the bus stop in my socks.

Sleepovers on school nights, yeah, great idea.

I dragged myself off the bus in a daze and pulled through the hallway to my locker where Sakura and Ino said their goodbyes and told me they'd see me at lunch. They wished me the best of luck at making it through the morning.

I stood facing my locker and leaned my head on the cold surface to avoid having to hold my body up by myself. I concentrated hard on the only thing I could see; the miniscule scratches that had been etched into the painted metal over years. The shiny, recycled steel was revealed underneath the paint.

I pursed my lips. The scratches were aggravating my perfectionistic tendencies to the point where my annoyance outweighed my exhaustion and I eventually ran through the combination on my lock and threw the locker door open with a huff.

I narrowed my eyes as I stared into my locker, trying to deduce what class I had this morning and what textbooks I would need. I worked at the problem for a minute or two before deciding that it really wouldn't matter in what textbooks I would need or what classes I had because I wouldn't be paying attention in any of my classes anyway; I was far too exhausted.

I closed my locker and leaned my face once again against the cold metal in hopes to relieve the headache I had that was steadily growing worse; all of the noise at the end of the hall certainly wasn't helping. I turned to see what the commotion was and saw a group of people all clustered together, surrounding someone else.

"Not again," I grumbled angrily and stormed over, ready to throw my two bits in about what I thought about all this ruckus and what I was going to do about it if it didn't stop. I needed peace in my life and I was going to have it even if I had to start a war!

Needless to say I was more than surprised when I saw that the person everyone was surrounding was Kiba and not whom I had been expecting. Not that I had really been expecting anyone in particular, I told myself. I definitely hadn't been expecting to see a mop of rusty hair and a devilish expression. No, it would seem kind of obsessive and presumptuous of me going into a situation like that and expecting to see Gaara. I rolled my eyes at my own sarcasm.

As sure as I was breathing however, it was Kiba in the midst of the throng, and I'd never seen ANYBODY in such a state, let alone him. He looked as down and out as I'd ever seen anybody (including myself, and that was saying something.) I got the impression from his appearance that his family had all been massacred in the middle of the night, but then instantly banished that thought.

"Hey, what's wrong with Kiba?" I whispered, elbowing a short brunette next to me. She was some freshman I'd never been introduced to before, but information was information, I didn't really care where it came from.

"Someone said his dog went missing. He's really upset," she answered without meeting my gaze.

I felt an instantaneous jolt of panic and horror inside my chest and tendrils of worry spider-webbed out from the source. Akamaru was missing? Surely this was a mistake; the girl must have been misinformed. I knit my eyebrows and pushed through the crowd.

"Oi, Kiba what's going on?" I demanded as the pack of people moved over to let me through. The pained expression on Kiba's face that was somewhere between fury and fear, was my only answer. Shino came up beside me and went to lay his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. Luckily I saw him out of the corner of my eye, and before he could make contact, I shifted away from his touch. "What's happened Shino?" I asked, thinking there would really be no other reason he would have to speak to me just then, than to elaborate on the information already given me.

Shino nodded his head away from the group and towards an unoccupied section of hallway. I followed his lead and when we were out of earshot of the others Shino said, "Akamaru went missing last night. Kiba said he let Akamaru out a little after midnight and when Kiba went to call him back in the house he was gone."

I was dumbstruck. I'd known Akamaru from day one; Kiba had run all over town showing his new prized pet off to all his friends and anyone else who would take the time to listen. The Great Pyrenees had been absolutely tiny as a puppy, but over the years had grown into something massive. He was good tempered and got along well with Hiro and me. Akamaru had always reminded me of Snoopy, a little white cartoon beagle, because of his colouring and humorous tendencies.

I thought about Akamaru a moment longer, trying to wrap my head around the situation; Shino waited patient and silent beside me. Akamaru wasn't the type of dog to run away. He and Kiba had been all but glued to each other from the moment Kiba's mother had paired them together. I didn't think Akamaru was poorly trained enough to chase after anything in the dead of night, but even if he had, surely he would have been home by morning. Unless...

"Kiba was out looking for Akamaru all night," Shino continued, "but couldn't find him. His mom made him come to school today."

"Well that was pointless," I muttered airily, my thoughts elsewhere. Obviously Kiba was too preoccupied with worry to be able to pay attention in any of his classes. I narrowed my eyes at Kiba across the hall and tried to figure out what exactly could have happened last night.

Suddenly an odd feeling broke through my thoughts. One of those, not-to-be-ignored, someone is watching you, kind of feelings. I turned to face down the hall and saw a figure standing in front of a window, completely cast in shadow from the light streaming in behind him. Still, I knew who it was. The group of people beside me seemed to feel it as well, or notice me staring for they all turned too. A half a dozen heads faced down the hall at Gaara and instantly the murmurs started.

"I bet it was him," a boy whispered.

"Yeah he did it," someone else added quietly.

"I heard something like this happened at his old school too. Pets started disappearing."

"He's up to his old tricks already."

"I told you he was dangerous."

"They should have never let him come here."

"First trying to burn down our school and now this?"

I just rolled my eyes and watched as Gaara, a malevolent look in his eye, stared back at us all for a moment longer and then went on his way. Out of respect for Kiba and his situation I didn't voice my opinion just then. I didn't voice, especially not loudly, how I believed everyone was acting immaturely, I didn't voice how I thought they were all being ridiculous, and I especially didn't voice how part of me felt that they might be right. What evidence did I have that Gaara hadn't been the one involved in Akamaru's supposed kidnapping. A gut feeling? No, not even that. My evidence was my own personal history, and something like that wasn't going to convince a jury. No, I kept my opinion to myself for more reasons than that, not the least of which was the great probability that it was going to make my invasive headache worse. The pace at which I had needed to handle the past two weeks had left me with a continuous headache which was steadily becoming unbearable. There had been one night roughly five years ago, that I had been required to live through at five-hundred times the natural speed of time, in order to survive. Since then, I was more than content to keep my life simple, stress free and at a nice, slow pace. Too many things were happening at once; I couldn't keep up and I didn't want to have to try.

I needed to put an end to this ASAP.

After making a nonverbal guess as to where Gaara might be off to, I turned to face down the opposite end of the hallway to make sure it didn't look like I was going to follow him, and was about to start off on my quest when a cold, strong hand landed on my shoulder and squeezed hard to stop me. It wasn't Shino this time.

"What do you think you're doing?" an angry voice asked me.

"What's it to you Sasuke?" I asked without turning around. I shrugged out from under his grasp.

"How many times to I have to tell you to stay away from him."

"FYI Sasuke, you don't get to tell me what to do... And I wasn't going after him." I growled, frustrated that Sasuke had seen through my would-be deception.

"I'm trying to look out for you," Sasuke said in a low voice, shifting so that he was standing in front of me, blocking my way.

"Wrong Sasuke. Do you think I'm an idiot? You've never looked out for anybody but yourself. I don't know why you want me to stay away from him, but it isn't for MY benefit. I don't know how or why, but me staying away from him would only further your own agenda."

"You're ridiculous."

"You're obsessed," I charged, realizing the irony of that sentence only after it was out of my mouth.

"You don't think he's dangerous!?"

I didn't have an answer for that. I had seen firsthand just how dangerous he could be. The memory of what had happened just last week pushed its way into the forefront of my brain; the memory of when Gaara had pulled a switchblade on me in the park in the middle of the night. I had told Gaara and his siblings that I could take care of myself, but really, what would have happened if the Temari and Kankuro hadn't gotten there in time? Come to think of it, what had Gaara been up to, wandering around the neighbourhood so late that night? Was it a simple, innocent walk, or was he planning something more sinister? He had told me himself that he was prone to causing trouble, that the rumours from his old school were true. Was it possible? Was Gaara really the one behind Akamaru's disappearance?

"I'M supposed to think HE'S dangerous and yet YOU'RE the one always picking fights with him?" I charged, an undercurrent of uncertainty in my voice. "Maybe you ought to take your own advice Sasuke."

"I'm stronger than you are."

I set my mouth in a firm line. "That's why you needed a dozen other guys at your back before you went to face him?"

"Don't test me Lei," he said warningly.

"Don't tell me what to do Sasuke." I pierced him with the coldest look I could manage but still felt I was losing this battle. "Stay away from me," I ordered, eager to bring this argument to a hasty close.

Sasuke and I shared one more antagonistic glare at each other before I stormed off to get as far away from him as I could.

* * *

I sat brooding over my bowl of soup in my chair in the kitchen. An open package of saltines was at my left elbow, I reached in and tossed a handful of them into the gelatinous red liquid that was still too hot to eat. The surface of the crackers blistered while I watched.

I hadn't been able to locate Gaara after I'd gotten away from Sasuke; admittedly I hadn't put as much effort into finding him as I might have. The bell had wrung shortly after I'd started looking and the demonic redhead had failed to turn up to any of his classes that day. Go figure.

"He's impossible!" I growled into my soup. "They all are! They're all crazy!" There was something satisfying about yelling silently to inanimate objects, namely food. It was oddly, stress relieving.

"What are you so gloomy about?" Reiko asked from across the table.

"I'm not gloomy," I deadpanned as I watched the cracker in my tomato soup grow to twice its natural size, while an unasked question hung in the air between Rei and I. "Gah, I'm just frustrated okay?" I snapped when the silence became too much to handle. I did not want to have this conversation at all, least of all with my sister.

"What about?"

I slammed my spoon down on the table as an answer and stormed out of the kitchen. Hiro followed me ever loyally to my bedroom and sat on the floor by my feet when I dropped myself down onto the bed.

"It's everything Hiro!" I told him angrily, venting my frustrations. "I got partnered with that stupid noob for that huge socials project. I refuse to do it by myself you know! It's not like I couldn't, but it's the principle of the thing!" Hiro looked sympathetically up at me as I continued. "And then there's all the trouble he's causing and he hasn't even done anything! Like, as if my life wasn't complicated enough without having to take care of HIS problems too! I have to take care of everybody! Sakura, Ino, REI! And what? Now Gaara too!? And Akamaru has gone missing? I feel like it's too much of a coincidence Hiro! This guy shows up and then all of these weird things start happening? First the school fire and now this?" I stopped myself ranting after that last declaration. Gaara hadn't caused the school fire. He'd been with me the whole time; but then what were all these goings-on about?

On that thought I stood up from my bed and stormed back into the kitchen. Rei was slurping the last of her soup from the bowl. "Hey listen, don't let Hiro out on his own any more alright." I told her.

"What? Why?"

"You heard Akamaru went missing didn't you?" I asked, exasperated.

"Well yeah, but- you don't really think that's got anything to do with... whatever do you?"

"You don't think it does?"

"Akamaru probably just smelled a wild animal or something."

"And just decided not to go home?"

"Akamaru was probably waiting for Kiba when he got home. Or maybe he's just hurt."

"I don't want to take any chances Rei! Are you going to take the responsibility if anything happens to Hiro when you let him out?"

"You're being paranoid."

"I'm being safe!"

"Alright. If you say so!" Reiko threw up her hands defensively.

As if on cue Hiro ran for the back door and barked to be let out.

A dark and uncomfortable feeling passed over me as I turned to follow Hiro to the door. I probably was being paranoid. It probably was just a HUGE coincidence. Akamaru was safe at home and we would all arrive to school on Monday and hear all about how relieved Kiba was and how he had gotten all worked up over nothing.

I stared into the cold dark night, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, I really am sorry I've been updating so late! I've been soo busy but I'm 99% sure that this is the last time I'm going to have to apologize for such a late chapter ha-ha. I finally finished moving, I'm all settled in, got into my work routine, school's over and I don't have many social engagements these days so everything should be nice and consistent from here on out... and that goes for my writing too. I know it's been a little choppy, but I really just wanted to get something up for you guys, so it should start to smooth itself out :)

Thanks guys! Leave me a comment, let me know what you think. Let me know if you've got any questions or suggestions for me! That'd be great :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Well, it only took me a month (and a couple hours. In my own defence, I got caught up watching my favourite Russian boyband perform ^_^ Man, I love Челси! Aлексей totally makes my life *Heart*) to get a new chapter up... (Yes, 'only!' lol...) Well, at least I'm getting better at this updating thing... sort of ha-ha ;P

Anyway, I hope people forgive my liberal use of the 'F-Word.' Part of me feels like I should rate my fics like, M for language and content, but the other part of me feels like that might make people not read my fics when they're really not that bad...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything remotely associated with it.

* * *

**Monday.**

I really thought I'd be able to get through the school day without trouble. What with all that had happened however, I really should have known better. Besides being a Monday, the 'fresh' start to the week merely added up all of last week's problems to a new batch, and brewed them together in a cauldron full of swamp scum, malice and distrust.

The first class of the day was Kakashi's and the atmosphere the moment I stepped into that class told me everything I needed to know about how my day was going to go before it had barely started. Kakashi sensei was later than usual and after a long pregnant pause at the beginning of the class Kakashi took a minute or two to tell us that he was sorry if the lecture wasn't up to its usual standards as his thoughts were occupied elsewhere. He informed us that his thoughts would be with his missing dog Urushi.

It was well known through the whole town that Kakashi kept a number of pet dogs; a bunch of oddballs, misfits and adoption center rejects. Kakashi Sensei had brought one of his dogs, Pakkun the pug to class once. That one was something else. The dog and the rest of the class, particularly Shikamaru hadn't really hit it off.

First Akamaru and now one of Kakashi's dogs? It could still be a coincidence though, right?

The rest of the morning went by in a blur, what with my preoccupation with the missing dogs and wondering if anyone else's pets were going to go missing next.

"YOU!" I heard suddenly and turned to see Sakura running in my direction. What fresh hell was this?

"What!?" I yelled back as she grabbed my wrist and yanked me back in the direction that she had just come from. "What's going on?" I asked as she pulled me forcefully through the halls.

"You need to see this! Hurry!"

The halls and students blurred as we rushed past. Sakura's pink hair flapped in my face and tickled my nose; it was time for her to get a haircut.

"What's going on?" I asked again as she pulled me thorough the west end doors. I didn't need her to answer though. I could see and hear right away what was going on.

Don't get involved.

Let it go.

I told myself over and over that this didn't concern me, and yet...

I'd watched a number of fist fights at this school in the past. Sasuke and Lee had gone at each other pretty much on our first day. Sakura and Ino were always in the middle of a catfight and Naruto was almost always causing trouble. Those fights hadn't bothered me. I never cared. They hadn't troubled me so why should I have bothered? This fight WAS bothering me.

Lee and Gaara were exchanging blows in the middle of a jeering crowd that looked like it might contain around half the school. A group this large was going to attract a lot of unwanted attention from teachers. I scanned the area quickly to make sure none were bearing down on us. There were no teachers, just an ever-growing mass of bodies.

Don't get involved.

Let it go.

'You have more self control than this,' I told myself. 'You've been slipping. You need to keep it together. This isn't some motley crew causing trouble after school; there are other people here, other people watching.'

Besides, it didn't look as though Gaara needed my help this time. He was laying into Lee pretty good. I knew from past experience that Lee had initiated this fight. The Gai Sensei look-a-like was always looking for a challenge; whether it was in his own best interest or not. I shook my head at his stupidity, and then heaved a sigh at the irony of that thought. How many fights had I started in the past years?

I was about to tell Sakura that I had no interest in being here, when suddenly...

Blood.

Lee had earned himself a gaping cut on his face which was gushing blood like a fire hose.

My left hand shot to my mouth and my right went straight to my throat. Nausea rolled over my body in waves and every system in my body was instantly overloaded with fear. I tried to look away but I couldn't. I was completely frozen, my body was seized with terror and I couldn't shut it off. The appearance of the oozing red liquid had been so sudden and unexpected I hadn't had even a moment to prepare myself.

I felt a scream welling up inside of me.

'Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip!' I begged myself. A show of such weakness would be devastating to whatever was left of my pride.

The cry was building; working its way from my lungs up to my throat. It was almost out of my mouth when I felt a wall slam into me.

The full-body force threw me to the ground and I landed on my hands and knees in a small, dirty bank of snow. The cold bit eagerly at my skin through my clothes, instantly distracting me and clearing the terror from my mind. I breathed heavily for a moment before two pairs of hands took hold of each of my arms and hauled me back to my feet.

I put my hand over my forehead and took a moment to catch my breath.

"Sorry about that," said Ino, "but we never really know how to react when you get like that. I mean, it always happens so suddenly!"

"You alright?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah. Thanks guys," I breathed. I didn't like having Sakura and Ino see me like that, but better the two of them than everybody else.

Time seemed to move in slow motion and by the time I regained my equanimity the fight was over behind me and the crowd was dispersing. Apparently someone had thought Lee needed medical attention. Deliberately not thinking about the gash across Lee's face, I was inclined to agree with whoever came up with the idea to take him to the school nurse. Can we say 'stitches' boys and girls?

In all the kafuffle of dispersing, disinterested bodies I was barely able to notice a mop of rust-red hair disappearing beyond the boundaries of the school parking lot.

Really? Again? Why was his first instinct in any situation to fight, or to leave? Good grief!

I started after him at a slow jog, my converse slipping and sliding on the still icy ground. If I twisted my ankle, or tore my knee chasing after him, oh boy was he going to hear about it!

When I was within an audible range I shouted at him, "Hey you!" but he didn't acknowledge me. Knowing full well he could hear me I tried again, "You're an idiot!"

He stopped, turned back towards me, a hateful look in his sea-foam green eyes. "What?"

"You're an idiot!" I said again, refusing to back down. "Why are you getting into fights every time I turn the corner. You're going to get into so much trouble. 'They're all the same.' 'You're all the same,' but you won't lay off either!" I shouted, mimicking him in a sarcastic voice and making air-quotes around my words. "You're the one who's treating us all the same. You're treating all of us like we're your enemy."

"You are my enemy."

"You're an idiot."

"Everyone, my whole life, has treated me the same way. Why shouldn't I do the same?"

"Because that's a fucking lie!" I shouted. I hadn't noticed it before, but Gaara and I had been steadily, albeit slowly, walking towards each other; closing the distance between us. "I... You...!" I was shouting but I had nothing to say; nothing that I especially wanted to say. It would have been so easy to admit to Gaara that I had been going out of my way to be nice to him, but to admit that to myself? I'd sooner stab myself in the throat with the mechanical pencil I had in my backpack. I curled my hands into fists and growled in frustration. "Whatever, if you want to go through life with this ridiculous complex, it's fine by me. I don't care!" I threw my hands up in the air in defeat. I turned to storm back to the school.

"Well that's just it isn't it? No one gives a damn."

"Some people do," I shouted, "in case you hadn't noticed. Even I found losers dumb enough to give a crap about me. And if you had enough sense to see past the hatred and bitterness in your own eyes, you'd find one too!"

What was I saying?

'Stop. Talking.' I ordered myself. My mouth was running on autopilot and it wasn't connected to my brain.

"Why should I trust you?" Gaara demanded.

"Why not?"

"Because-"

"If you say 'because you're just like them' I'll tear you apart myself," I muttered wryly.

"Why are you pushing this so hard!?"

"Because...!" because I know what it's like to be there, to try and go it alone. No one deserves that. Because when I look into your eyes, I see the same pain and suffering I endured; I see the resentment and bitterness I held mirrored in them... "Because I don't like people making snap judgements about me any more than you do," I stammered, pulling the excuse out of my head as quickly as I could.

Gaara just stared back at me so I waited a moment, took a deep breath, composed myself and said, "One shot." I held up one finger to demonstrate my point. "Just one. One shot to prove myself. You don't judge me and I won't judge you. Then, if you find you still can't trust me, well I'll have to accept that. But if you decided that maybe I'm not as awful as you think I am..." I trailed off.

I stretched out my arm, hand open, towards him.

He regarded it suspiciously for a moment, a stiff, calculating look in his eyes. Then, staring coldly, firmly into my eyes, he took my hand.

I released a breath I hadn't been aware I was holding as he let go of my hand.

"Now what?" he asked curtly, a sharp edge to his voice.

"Come back to the school with me."

Anger flared on his face instantaneously but I didn't back down. I narrowed my eyes at him and set my jaw.

"You're going to get in a lot of trouble if you keep running off. We BOTH are for that matter. You wandering off is not going to help anything."

"Taking orders from you was not part of the arrangement."

"No, but you could try make things easier on yourself," I said flatly, pursing my lips. "Come back with me." Without thinking I started reaching my hand out to him. When I realised what I was doing I, as seamlessly as I could manage, flitted my hand up into my hair and pretended to fix a stray lock.

It was time for me to see a therapist.

Without waiting to see if he was going to follow me, I turned on my heels and started back towards the school.

* * *

It was starting again. It was all starting again; the stares, the whispers, people glowering at me... The second Gaara and I made it back to the grounds all eyes were on him and me.

Murmured speculation, rumours, all the whispered comments as we passed. I fought terribly against the urge to regress into a darker time in my life. I would have to ignore it. I would have to overlook the whole situation and keep my head held high.

It was gym after lunch and although there were still a couple minutes, I chose to head to the locker room and change early; deciding that to avoid as many people as possible while I still could was in my best interest. I had nothing better to do anyway and I was sick of running into people that I might end up arguing with.

I threw open the change room door a little too hard and it banged against the wall; but it wasn't the bang or the smell of unwashed clothes and sweat that caught me off guard. There one someone else already in the change room.

"Oh, it's you," I sneered.

Hinata.

It was timid, soft-spoken Hinata with her dark hair and violet eyes. Not even in the mood to bother her, I shrugged past and sat down on a bench. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hinata make a move towards the change room door to leave, but then look back at me and stop. She stared at me for a moment while I pretended not to notice.

"Are, are you alright?" she asked timidly. "You seem more, frustrated than usual."

I snapped my head in her direction and arched my eyebrow at her in confusion. What was she talking to me for? Why did she care what kind of mood I was in? "What!? So?"

"I... I was just... I wanted to make sure you were alright."

I leaned back as if her words had had actual force; confusion was written all over my face. "Excuse me?" I had never been anything but horrible to this girl, why was she suddenly concerning herself with my welfare?

Hinata cast her violet eyes downward, unsure of herself perhaps, or possibly out of embarrassment.

I looked away from her and scrunched up my face in annoyance. "I'm just... frustrated," I said, using her word.

"You're frustrated with Gaara."

My eyes shot open and my head snapped towards her again. "What?"

"I... I've just noticed is all. I've seen how you react when you're around him." Her eyes were still focused on the ground and I half wondered if there wasn't some fine detail in the flooring that she had become mesmerized with.

"What have you noticed?" I demanded.

"You don't act with him like you do everyone else."

"I don't act with you like I do anyone else. That doesn't mean anything!" I shouted, standing up.

What was this? She was being so invasive. Unconsciously I started picking and pulling at nonexistent bits of fluff and lint on my clothes. I tugged uncomfortably at the collar of my shirt.

"That frustrates you, doesn't it? It bothers you that you can't keep your cold façade up around him."

Completely affronted, my mouth fell open and wrinkles formed in the corners of my eyes and between my eyebrows. "You don't know what are you're talking about!" I snapped.

"You like him."

"I- I-"

I couldn't stop the flood of thoughts and emotions that started eddying and crashing inside my brain at her words.

Gaara's fiery red hair, that matched his explosive personality, the anger and hatred in his sea-foam eyes that was hiding something else; loneliness, I guessed, for I knew it all too well. I wanted to help him, I didn't want anyone else to suffer. There was a darkness and danger inside his soul that might be cleared away with just a little bit of...

"I don't know anything about him; except maybe how difficult he is! How could I like him!?" I snapped loudly, saving myself from my internal thoughts. I knew I was being too loud. I knew that anybody standing on the other side of the change room doors, heck anybody standing within a five locker radius of the gym was going to be able to hear me. I didn't care anymore if people heard me though. All I cared about was making my point. "I need his help for our Socials project. That's all. If he keeps running off and getting into trouble he won't be able to do his part. That's what's frustrating and that's why I'm always chasing after him. That's all! I don't ca-" I wanted to say 'I don't care about him' but I couldn't bring myself to lie, not about that. To say that I fundamentally didn't care would be an absolute betrayal to Gaara, as well as to me. But then, what kind of loyalty did I owe him or myself for that matter. "That's it. That's all. That's the end of it!" I told Hinata firmly.

Just then the bell rang to signal the end of lunch and a horde of females tromped into the change room behind us. Most of them were laughing and talking with each other, but after only a couple steps in, they must have sensed the tension in the room, for they all stopped their chatting to gape at the scene in front of them. It was no secret how well Hinata and I got along, so for the lot of them to find the two of standing together, alone... It wouldn't have surprised me that their thoughts jumped to the worst possible scenario.

"What's going on?" Ino asked, as she and Sakura forced their way to the front of the queue.

Staring straight into Hinata's concerned eyes I answered "Nothing," and turned away to get changed. Murmurs picked up behind me, but after only a moment, when they were sure no epic fight was going to ensue, the girls returned to their original conversations in their light, airy tones.

* * *

"I need a drink," I called to Ino, who was my partner for doubles tennis.

I ducked and weaved my way through side-stepping teams, dodging runaway tennis balls and avoiding perilous backswings before making it safely to the water fountain tucked away near the gym door by the stands.

I stuck my face into the cool stream and lapped greedily at the water; the E. coli scare from last month in the far recesses of my mind.

When I came up for air I saw a mass of black frustration striding towards me. I readied myself to get an earful since he and I were going to be out of earshot of Gai and the other players. I just rolled my eyes as I ducked my head down for another sip of obviously chlorinated water.

"What were you thinking the other day Leiko? Getting involved like that? And again at lunch? I saw you chasing after that demon. What's wrong with you?"

"Sasuke," I said in between mouthfuls, "I'm not going to tell you again." I stood up and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. "You don't get to tell me what to do. You need to mind your own business."

"What? Like you're doing? If you were minding your own business, you wouldn't be chasing after him every time he ran off."

I snorted, "I'm doing what I need to, and I don't _need_ you to look out for me. Got it?"

"You're the only one in the entire school fighting me on this!"

"Why are you so determined to turn the school against him!?"

"Oh, he doesn't need ME to turn the school against him. He's done a pretty good job of that himself."

"Yeah, but you're not helping, are you?" I winked at him. It appeared the physical exertion of the class had burnt off some of my bad temper. I was enjoying tormenting Sasuke more than I was being annoyed that he was still trying to control me.

Suddenly a flash of red over Sasuke's left shoulder caught my eye and I smiled at the wild bolt of a mischievous idea forming inside my brain.

"Gaara!" I called, just loud enough for he and Sasuke to hear me in gym filled with sweating, shouting teens. Knowing full well just how much it would aggravate Sasuke, I sprinted after Gaara. Feeling Sasuke following me with his eyes and making sure to speak loud enough for Sasuke to hear I said to Gaara, "We've still got a project to work on. Your place or mine?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Heh, so I just have to say you guys are awesome. All your support for this Fic is pretty amazing. I will be happy to do my utmost to keep a steady uploading schedule for you guys ^_^


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